


In Need of Rescue

by SimplySally



Category: Carol (2015), The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith
Genre: Age Difference, Angst, BDSM, Bondage, D/s, Domme Carol, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Lesbian Sex, Power Exchange, Romance, Slow Burn, Smut, Teasing, sub Abby
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-19
Updated: 2016-11-24
Packaged: 2018-08-23 07:52:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 34
Words: 68,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8319826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SimplySally/pseuds/SimplySally
Summary: A young, creatively frustrated graphic designer meets up with a beautiful bored housewife. It's lust at first sight, but love is a lot more complicated. Both have to set their emotional baggage aside to find their way to each other, but Carol's dark secret might tear them apart.Also, they both love animals.Modernish AU, told from both viewpoints





	1. Jailbreak

**Author's Note:**

> For my love

_Therese_

  
Therese looked at the time on the bottom of her computer screen for what felt like the hundredth time that day, the minutes ticking by so slowly that she thought someone was playing an elaborate prank on her. She was fairly glazed over, working on a PowerPoint for the company’s finance director, updating pie charts and making sure the fonts were consistent throughout the presentation. When she had accepted the entry-level position as a graphic designer for a small marketing firm, she had imagined something much more glamourous than this. Instead it was mostly grunt work, with plenty of trips to the dry cleaner and coffee runs sprinkled in to further enforce her low rank on the totem pole.

  
Today it didn’t help that she was completely distracted, her mind re-playing the events of the morning that had made her late to work and drawn the ire of her pencil-pushing boss, Cheryl. The woman had nothing better to do than lurk near the front door in the mornings and monitor the stragglers. Therese had a good excuse for being late, but she wasn’t about to share that with the sneering little frump who stood on her tip-toes for emphasis whenever she was giving a “subordinate” a good dressing-down.

  
Shoving that unpleasant memory to the back of her mind, Therese re-focused on the warm thoughts that had been haunting her most of the day. She burned into her memory the soft, wavy blonde hair, the full, luscious lips and that incredibly penetrating gaze that belonged to the enigma named Carol.

  
Carol. She couldn’t wait to be alone so that she could say the name aloud and savor it on her tongue. She had secretly whispered it to herself in the ladies room stall, knowing immediately how ridiculous she was being and feeling ashamed….but excited nonetheless. 

_I wonder what she’s doing right now_ , she thought to herself. _Could she be thinking of me too?_

  
The morning had started like a fairly normal day – hitting the snooze button one too many times, leaping out of bed, rushing around to feed the cats, brush her teeth, and slurp down a cup of coffee while grabbing a random outfit from her closet. She couldn’t be bothered to put too much effort into work clothes; work had a conservative dress code, so she had a section of Basic Boring that all matched each other, her go-to mix and match that she could throw on while still sleepy without thinking too much about it.

  
She managed to get out of her apartment with plenty of time to spare, as long as traffic was cooperative and she didn’t get behind any school buses. She actually enjoyed her 30 minute commute in to the office, taking in the rolling corn fields and farmhouses interspersed with middle class suburbia. It was early fall and especially beautiful, with the slightest tinge of color starting to show in the leaves and the crisp smell of apples and ripe grapes in the air.  Something about the smell made Therese homesick, but a queer kind of homesick where you miss something that you never really had in the first place. It was the scent of longing, of desire, the hint of wood smoke from winter fires not yet lit.

  
She hummed along to one of her favorite Nanci Griffith covers, “Morning Song for Sally,” and wallowed in the sweet melancholy of it:

  
_For it seems our love was destined_  
_To be caught in other nets_  
_But the love we held so brief_  
_I'd chance again without regret_

  
Therese knew a lot about regret….and about the brevity of love. It seemed sometimes that was all she knew. One of her foster moms had liked Nanci Griffith and played her albums incessantly, and it was one of the few pleasant experiences she could remember from that particular home.

  
She kept watch for the one house she always noticed on the way, one that was a bit more upscale than the surrounding houses, obviously an older home that had been restored to its former grandeur by someone with deep pockets. As she passed by, she drank in the dark burgundy front door with the fancy overhead transom, imagining the inhabitants and their glamourous, wealthy lives. She scanned the front yard, then furrowed her brow as she saw a large yellowish dog pushing his way through the fencing in the side yard. It was a quick glance, but she could see the dog was already half way through the slot in the fencing and would be free in a minute. She kept driving….and worrying. A minute down the road she took a look at the clock, sighed, and whipped into a side street to turn around. She knew she would worry about the dog all day if she didn’t stop to check on him.

  
She drove slowly back by the house, hoping to see an owner corralling the dog – but she saw neither owner nor dog, just a large gap in the picket fence. She turned around again, gathered up her courage, and pulled into the driveway of the large old house. All the while, she second-guessed herself. 

  
_This isn’t safe, Therese, you don’t know who could be living in here. There could be some weirdo who occasionally sets his dog free on purpose just to lure people up to the door. Or they could think you were a burglar or a Mormon and try to shoot you on the front steps._

She could feel her heart racing as her usual anxious thoughts got the better of her.

  
She stopped the car and took another deep breath, talking herself down off the ledge.

_This is perfectly normal. You have to save this dog. And if nobody answers, you can just run away quickly at least knowing you tried. I’m sure whoever lives here is perfectly nice. Or probably not even home._

  
Therese pulled herself up out of the car, still scanning the yard for the runaway dog. She was very conscious of the cars passing on the busy highway as she approached the house, positive that if the dog headed that way he’d be road kill.

  
It wasn’t lost on Therese that she was finally getting to see the majestic front door up close, and she admired it, along with some elegant planters on the front stoop filled with lovely fall mums in rust and yellow.  
She drew up her courage, then knocked.


	2. My pleasure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leaving her some clues along the way

Chapter 2

Therese’s first knock on the door echoed through the house, but she didn’t hear any sounds coming from within. After a moment, she noticed a doorbell and rang it, the sound of it reverberating and making her jump.

_Ok that’s it, I am giving this 10 seconds and I am leaving. 1 – 2- 3 – 4_ … and then she heard the sounds of footsteps coming towards the front door.

Therese’s heart was pounding in her ears and she could feel her cheeks flushing hot as the door swung open. The vision that greeted her was so unexpected that she just stopped and stared, her mouth hanging open, as she looked up at the most stunning human she had ever seen. The woman was tall, with pale skin like porcelain and sharply defined cheekbones below eyes that reminded Therese of glacial rivers, precious gems, and sea slates all in a mad rush of thoughts. The graphic designer in Therese admired her perfect symmetry, the way that her mouth was in perfect proportion and set below an aquiline nose in the center of her heart-shaped face.

“Oh….hi, uhh, may I help you?” The woman looked somewhat sleepy, confused – Therese noticed she was in a silky robe barely covering some type of gauzy night gown. It did not help her to concentrate.

Therese cleared her throat, trying to form words. “Your dog…,” clearing her throat again, “your dog…I was driving by and noticed he got out.”

  
“Oh no! That rascal!” The woman brought her fingers to her mouth and then let loose with the longest, loudest whistle Therese had ever heard.

“Xena! Xena, come here girl!”

At that moment the dog came bounding from around the house, her whole body quivering with excitement from her adventur. She came running up to the woman and leaned against her, her tail wagging wildly.

Therese felt her stomach flip from all the emotions welling up within her….relief that the dog was ok, ridiculous embarrassment that she had called the dog a “he,” and, most potent of all, the strong attraction she felt to this woman and the inability to stop staring at her. _My god, that jawline!_

The woman shooed the dog inside the house, “Bad girl! Did you think you would get away with that jailbreak?”

Therese sucked in her breath in surprise when she felt a little jolt between her thighs on hearing Carol’s steely voice say “Bad girl.”

_Oh crap, this is not good…..I am going to make a fool of myself. She is going to see in my eyes how attracted I am and think I am some kind of creepy stalker girl_ , Therese thought, and forced herself to rip her eyes away from the goddess before her and stare down at her shoes.

“Well, that was so nice of you to stop and let me know – I would have been heartbroken if anything had happened to her.”

Therese’s resolve broke immediately at the sound of the woman’s voice and her eyes were drawn back up to her face like a magnet. When their eyes met, Therese could see the woman taking her in, appraising her. The woman smiled, a small smile but warm and playful – her lips crinkling at the sides.

Therese had to remind herself to speak, “Oh yes, of course. You’re welcome. I was just….driving by and would have worried about the dog all day if I hadn’t stopped to check.”

The woman looked up to the busy highway and then back down at Therese, smiling still, a little mischief playing at the corner of her eyes. “Well, how will I ever repay you?”

Therese could swear she could hear flirtation in that voice…but no, she was just being delusional. A woman like this would never be flirting with HER – plain Jane in her boring basics.

“Oh, don’t think anything of it, it’s my pleasure….I mean…” Therese had started to stutter after saying the word “pleasure,” and the intense eye contact from the woman was not helping her one bit.

The woman saved her from further embarrassment, extending a slender hand in Therese’s direction. “I’m Carol.”


	3. Fool me once

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm writing this in secret for my love, my own Cate, my Therese, my lover, my friend, my nurturer, the one who is everything in the world to me. Because she loves Carol Fan fic, this is my gift to her. But I have become obsessed with the story myself, and it is torture to wait for a little time in private to continue the writing.  
> Carol is not the only one who has a secret.

Therese took the offered hand, preparing to shake it in a businesslike manner, just like she would a colleague at the office. But as soon as Carol’s skin touched hers, she felt a warm sensation that started in her palm and flooded her whole body; she felt all the bones, and blood, and tendons beneath, radiating heat and energy. Her body sung with the power of it, and she felt her brain momentarily shut down completely.   
A pleasant buzz set up in her ears. In spite of herself and her usual shyness, Therese looked up at the woman and beamed, her first genuine smile, her eyes opened wide and completely returning the intense gaze. 

“I’m Therese,” she grinned, and Carol breathed it back out softly to her, almost under her breath, “Ter-ezzz.” It sounded so lovely coming from her mouth, Therese wanted to reach up and touch her fingers to those luscious full lips.

“Well,” Carol breathed finally, seeming to be caught up in the same spell as Therese, “maybe you should come in for a drink….or……a coffee?”   
With every fiber of her being, Therese wanted to say yes. But with every fiber of her worn and empty wallet, she had to say no.   
“I’m sorry, but I’m already going to be late for work,” she said ruefully. 

“I’m sorry for keeping you! But you must come back after work for a drink so I can thank you properly. What time will you be by?”

There didn’t seem to be room for a “no” in the invitation, which, Therese had no intention of refusing anyway. “Around 6,” she hesitated…..”if that’s ok?”

“Of course, see you then.” Carol stood watching her, and continued to watch her as she made her way back to her car. Therese could feel the woman’s gaze following her, and she felt the heat creeping up the back of her neck. She climbed back into her ancient Subaru, suddenly feeling self-conscious of the shabby car. She started it up and was thankful that it didn’t make any strange noises, then looked up to wave shyly before putting the car in reverse.

Since then, her mind had been consumed with thoughts of Carol, replaying each moment they spent together and critiquing every word she had spoken. She kept thinking of what she should have said, how she could have been more flirtatious, more open, more….smiley. But as the day went on, doubt crept further into her mind. Surely she misinterpreted the mischievous look in the woman’s eyes. 

It wouldn’t be the first time.

She had always felt a bit out of place in the company of “straight” women – she never quite understood where the lines were drawn between them. She was careful to approach women with an extra reserve, no touching, not too much eye contact, so as not to give anyone the wrong idea about her intentions. She would be horrified if she ever were accused of hitting on a woman (not that it had ever happened, not even close). When she found a woman attractive, she found herself even less likely to make eye contact, much less touch her. In the few affairs she had experienced, she was never the aggressor, waiting for the other woman to make the first move. She carefully walked the tightrope of the mostly hetero world around her, holding herself to a higher standard of conduct so that no one could say “oh that lesbian….no, that dyke…could you believe she…..?” 

And then there was the incident with a former co-worker. She was so friendly, and so touchy-feely. She had stopped by Therese’s desk often, perching on the edge of her desk, touching her shoulder frequently, even stopping to brush the bangs off her forehead one time. She was sexy in a bookish sort of way, and Therese enjoyed her company so much – she felt her wits matched. So when the woman asked her if she wanted to go out to dinner that Saturday, she thought it was a date. She wasn’t sure, but she thought…..

And then she got to the restaurant, settled into the booth, and the woman launched into a whispered conversation about her boyfriend, an older man who was an executive in their company. She confided in Therese that they were keeping their relationship under wraps for fear of rumors and innuendo of special treatment. Therese focused intently on her grilled turkey panini and tried to keep her face from showing disappointment. Of course, a new friend -friends were always good, and she didn't have many. But how stupid she had been. Her cheeks burned with shame at the mere thought of it all. What if she had slipped up and let the woman know she thought it was more than just a friendly dinner? She would never live that down.

She left the experience even more baffled as to how women were to interact with each other. How did any of the queer girls ever get a date in this town, anyhow? She was sure it was a question the gay boys never had to ask. 

As she pulled into Carol’s driveway exactly one minute before 6:00, she strengthened her resolve to never ever make a fool of herself again, especially not in front of the elegant creature she had met this morning. No, she would just be content to get to see her again, to take in the scents and sights of the luxurious world she inhabited and take the sensations of it all back into the private fantasy world of her bedroom at night.

Therese brushed an errant cat hair off her pants as she walked up the driveway, wondering at the beautiful old farmhouse. She laughed when she noticed the fence was still broken, but the loose board had been propped back into place with an ornamental stone owl. For some reason it eased her tension and helped her move her feet a little faster up to the stone porch. She knocked on the burgundy door and waited, reminding herself to breathe as she heard the click of high heels approaching from the other side.

Carol opened the door and smiled warmly, “Oh, you did come! I was hoping.”

“Yes, of course.”

“Well come on in, it’s chilly outside.”   
Behind Carol, Therese could see Xena dancing excitedly, and beyond that an expanse of hardwood floors, antique furniture, and spare but tasteful decorations. The tall woman gestured for her to follow and she did, stepping into the type of home she had only seen on television. 

She determined to soak in every sight, smell, and sound.


	4. If you want to destroy my sweater...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally get a peek into Carol's head.....and there is some prolonged pendant fondling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out the inspiration for the chapter title, Weezer's "Undone (The Sweater Song)"
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHQqqM5sr7g
> 
> Thanks for the earworm, Weezer.  
> 

_Carol_

What a long fucking day. First, Harge had called at the last minute and asked if he could take Rindy for the day to see his parents. That totally blew her plans to take her out to the corn maze and pumpkin patch for some mother/daughter fun time. Then she got the “no thanks” email from the sales position she had applied to….and she had thought the interview had gone really well. And then the dog got out.

But that turned out to be the most delightful turn of events.

_My own special delivery, right to my front doorstep._

Carol allowed herself a moment to recall the modern day Audrey Hepburn who had materialized on her step this morning, but then as quickly chided herself,

_Oh you dirty old woman, lusting after a sweet innocent thing like that._

Well, a woman can dream. Just having thoughts doesn’t hurt anyone, her own private fantasies stayed just that, private. And inviting her back, well, that was perfectly innocent.

_I can look, can’t I?_

She ran her fingers through her tangled mop of golden curls and wandered through the empty house, picking up random misplaced things and shoving them into convenient hiding spots.

_Here I am, the typical bored housewife. How trite. Welcome to your future, Carol._

Now that Rindy was in middle school and much more independent, and Harge had finally moved himself out of the house, she found herself with a lot of spare time on her hands. She had been looking for a job, but found all the years as a stay at home mother did not give her the type of skills and credentials needed to pad a resume for the business world. Most days while Rindy was at school, she would scan the online listings of the most recent job postings for about an hour, then spend the rest of the day searching for ways to pass the time. Several times a day she found herself staring vacantly into the refrigerator, not even sure what she was looking for. What might be in here that could fill the emptiness she was feeling, the unsettled gnawing at her ribs, the hollowness that stretched up to her throat at times and made her mouth fill with saliva?

She was rolling through the house like a tumbleweed for the umpteenth time when the doorbell rang.

 _My god, she actually came back_.

But then she had known she would. What Carol wants, Carol gets. She took several deep breaths and counted to 5 before stepping to the door, trying not to appear too anxious.

She opened the door casually, coolly. That perfect little chiffon whip of a girl was standing there, looking up at her….expectantly? Adoringly?

_Game plan, stick to the game plan._

She led her in, straight to the kitchen. Kitchens are not sexy, not romantic – just practical. Once housewife to another…..or rather, one housewife to one schoolgirl.

_No, not a schoolgirl, she had a job._

“So, would you like some wine…” Carol arched a brow, ”or are you old enough?”

The girl reacted with a scowl, the color high in her cheeks.

“Of course I am!” Therese answered, and even stamped her foot a little with the response.

“I wouldn't want to break any laws," Carol replied haughtily. "Red, or white?”

“Whatever you have open,” Therese replied sullenly, and Carol could swear she poked her bottom lip out the slightest bit.

Carol suppressed a smile and poured the wine with a practiced hand, like a woman who had never experienced a moment of self-doubt in her life. She gestured Therese to join her at the table and watched the younger woman’s eyes take in the rustic French kitchen with the beautiful wooden cabinets and black hammered pot-rack poised over granite countertops.

Therese was like a sparrow, perched on the edge of her chair and sipping daintily at her wine. She had a retro look with a dark fringe of bangs across her forehead and was petite in a way that Carol had always been jealous of. Carol had never been called petite or dainty. This girl looked as if her bones were hollow; Carol was sure she could have picked her up and carried her to her room. She wanted to press the pause button and blend into the walls for a moment, watch her take in her surroundings, observe every breath, every bat of those long eyelashes.

She couldn’t help but sweep her eyes all the way down the girl and back up again, and when her eyes met Therese’s, she knew she had been caught at it.

Carol took a sip of her wine and smiled coolly, “So, how was work?”

The word “work” sounded foreign on Carol’s tongue.

Therese shrugged, showing just how insignificant anything was that had happened between now and the moment she last saw Carol.

Carol waited her out, letting the uncomfortable silence linger until Therese was forced to speak. “Boring, really. I thought this job would be a lot more creative, but it’s the same thing every day.”

“And what is it that you do?”

“Graphic design – if you want to call it that. Basically I do a lot of working with PowerPoint templates, creating graphs, and adjusting fonts and colors. It’s stuff I could have done when I was in high school.”

“What is it that you would rather be doing?”

“Writing. Illustrating. I’m working on a graphic novel.” Therese stopped quickly as if she had already exceeded her word quota for the day.

“No, go on, I want to hear all about it.” Carol leaned back against her chair and crossed her legs, clearly signaling that she could wait Therese out for as long as it took.

Therese started hesitantly at first, then warmed to the topic – her passion for the subject overtaking her. She had always been interested in writing, she said, and had always kept a notebook with little snippets of ideas and favorite phrases that she heard.

Carol listened intently, prompting Therese with more questions whenever she stopped. She felt herself pulling at the thread of who Therese was, slowly unraveling her with each question answered. Carol opened all her senses, soaking the woman into her very pores, flaring her nostrils to catch the slightest scent of her. She twirled the stem of the wine glass, winding the essence of the girl around her fingers.

The mood in the room lightened, and soon it was if the two had known each other much longer. They discovered they had a mutual love of animals, and Carol wanted to hear all about Therese’s volunteer work at the local shelter. Therese told her about the time she was cleaning one of the donkey stalls and was rewarded by a torrent of donkey barf down her back.

Therese started to laugh, her shoulders shaking, and Carol was pleasantly surprised. She tried to control her own laughter just to better savor the sound of it. It seemed Therese’s laughter was an elusive and hard-won thing, and she felt proud that she could bring it out in her.

When Therese laughed, Carol’s eyes caught on a small stone pendant on a silver chain swaying softly between her breasts. Impetuously Carol leaned forward, reaching her fingers out to capture the pendant. She rolled it between her slender fingers and thumb. “It’s beautiful,” she breathed, and looked up into Therese’s eyes for a searching moment.

Therese stopped laughing like a switch had been flipped and sat perfectly still, holding her breath.

Carol licked her bottom lip reflexively. She held her gaze for another long moment, then placed the pendant back against Therese's chest, her fingertips grazing her sweater ever so slightly. She heard Therese let out the breath she had been holding.

“Mmm-hmm,” Therese cleared her throat, nodding her head and biting at her lips, suddenly appearing very interested in the dangling charm.

Carol held quiet until she looked back up at her again. She could feel her own pulse in her neck, thrumming behind her ears. The urge to take, to possess, to claim was strong in her, eyes of a hawk taking in this mouse of a girl. An image flashed in her mind of the two of them in tangled sheets, Carol holding her down, pinning her with her body, burying her face into her neck and sniffing and growling softly. She folded her hands in her lap and secretly dug her fingernails into the web of one finger, forcing reality, focus, self-control.

They both jumped at the sound of the front door opening, quick light footsteps followed by heavy ones.

“Hi Mom!” Rindy yelled from the other room.

Carol stood up suddenly, running her fingers through her hair, feeling a bit unraveled herself.

“Hi Sweetheart,” Carol answered, glancing back over her shoulder at Therese as she walked towards the living room. “Did you have fun?”

She didn’t receive an answer as Rindy was already in her room with the door shut. She almost ran into Harge standing near the sofa. He took off his overcoat and threw it casually over the back of a chair. She hated the way he tossed his coat, the smell of his aftershave permeating the room, acting as if he still owned the place.

Well, she guessed he sort of did….at least for now. But part of the settlement agreement was for the house to become hers alone.

“Where’s my hello?” He grinned at her, reaching for her waist.

She shook him off. “Hello, Harge.”

The sound of a chair scraping against floorboards came from the kitchen and his head swung that way, “Oh, you have guests?”

His expression darkened and he didn’t wait for an answer, heading to the kitchen door and pushing through – Carol could only see his broad back as he stood in the doorway.

“Hi,” Therese said softly.

Carol couldn’t see her, only hear the small voice from the other side of the mountain of man.

Harge cocked his head to the side, “Hello, have we met? I didn’t know my wife was planning for company.”

 _My wife._ He emphasized the words.

“No, we haven’t met. I was just leaving. “

Carol was crushed at the words. She pushed past Harge into the kitchen. “No, please stay. I was going to see if you wanted some dinner.”

The look in Therese’s eyes was like a frightened animal, a doe dashing frantically after its mother across a 4-lane highway.

“I have to go.”

Carol tried to grasp her arm as she brushed by, but Therese was on a mission, walking quickly to the door. Carol’s heels tapped quickly as she followed her, reaching for the handle of the door as Therese swung it back. Therese stepped onto the porch almost at a trot, barely glancing back as she said “Thank you for the wine and the company. It was very nice.”

Carol stood in the doorway in shock, watching her climb into the car and drive away, headlights receding into the darkness. She felt Harge’s presence behind her, smelled his oily cologne.

“Sorry to interrupt your little party,” his voice had that whining tone it often took when he was tired or peaved.

Carol wheeled on him, “You have a shitty sense of timing. Besides, it’s not what you think. She rescued Xena this morning and….”

Carol stopped herself, wondering why she was even justifying herself to this man who didn’t matter anymore.

“Anyway, I hope you and Rindy had a nice day together.”

“We did,” he moved towards a chair, looking like he was settling in to stay a while.

“It’s been a long day, I’m afraid I’m not up for company.”

Harge stopped mid-sit, “Well, that’s not how it looked just now. Don’t you mean, you’re just not up for MY company?”

Carol couldn’t stop herself from being cruel. “Yes, that’s exactly what I mean.”

After Harge left, Carol leaned her back against the front door and wondered what this unpleasant feeling was.

 _Oh, rejection_.

It was a feeling totally alien to her. She was always the one who decided when it was time to say goodbye.

When she stalked back into the kitchen and saw Therese’s jacket draped across the back of a chair, her face settled into a look of determination.


	5. Give Me Shelter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Therese communes with the animals, but is interrupted by an unexpected visitor.

_Therese_

  
Her body had betrayed her. Treacherous beast.

  
The last several nights a golden Amazon warrior had stalked through her dreams, covered in cold plates of armor, untouchable. She was caught in a web between waking and sleep, images of those full red lips touching a wine glass, curving into a crooked smile, or crinkling into an amused smirk burned into her memory.

  
She had tried to push the woman out of her mind, and her discipline held during the day. She immersed herself in her work, and in the evenings she feverishly sketched and wrote. But the nights were not so easy, and when she woke in the morning, the dew she found in her panties was all the evidence she needed.

  
_Little cat in heat, you’ve led me down the wrong path before._

  
She’d had several affairs with married women, been played with like a toy. Her affections were never equally matched, and when the initial fascination had worn off, she had been abandoned for the security of husband, of family. The last affair had left her weeping on the floor of her closet like a disconsolate child.

  
_No one will ever love me like I want to be loved, like I wanted a mother to love me._

  
The ache was like a hunger within her, an unsatisfied pang that haunted the silences.

  
The despair of that singular moment had stayed with her, though she had steeled herself and marched on. It was her new truth, and she clung to it grimly.

  
She was relieved for the change of pace and distraction that Saturday brought; she had volunteered for a morning shift at the shelter, and she looked forward to the physical work almost as much as seeing the animals. She mostly helped by cleaning cages, and there was a satisfaction in the visible evidence of her progress.

  
The staff had tried to get her to work at the front desk, taking in abandoned animals or doing intake for potential adoptees. But Therese much preferred the company of the animals to any humans, and she always suggested someone else take on desk duty when they asked her.

  
Therese was pulling all of the bedding out of the cat cages, scooping litter boxes, and replacing water and food. Before she could clean one side of the cage, there was the tricky maneuver of getting the cat to move through a hole in the cage wall over to the other side. Some cats were easily fooled with a toy or a treat, but others had caught on to the game and loved a good challenge. Some cats she had to annoy so they would get up and move, or as a last resort she would pick them up and cram them through the hole, usually having a protest scratch or two as a reward. Once she got the animal to the other side, she used a round plastic cover to plug the hole so she could clean the cage without worrying about a cat escaping.

  
Sometimes there was an empty cage waiting for a new resident, and she would clear it out completely, spraying the surfaces down with a bleach mixture and putting in new food, water, and bedding. She always picked out a toy to put in these cages as well. For the new residents she always tried to find something she imagined would be comforting, something soft or plushy.

  
This morning she was enamored of an older grey cat with such thick fur that you could completely bury your hand in it. The cat had soulful eyes and had been watching her all morning long. When ever she walked by, she would pause to speak to him and he would give a little squeak in reply and rub himself against the cage, begging for a stroke. She couldn't resist.

  
She hoped a friendly old guy like this would find a home soon, maybe a nice senior citizen would adopt him and make him an only pet in a small city apartment. She was always imagining homes for animals in the shelter, thinking of what would be the ideal placement for each one. That's another reason why she didn't like working the adoption desk - the reality of the adoptive families never quite lived up to her fantasies.

  
Therese moved down the line of cages and then came to one covered with a towel, a sign that said "No fingers in cage - I bite" on the door. Therese lifted the towel to find a bedraggled orange tabby in the corner, shivering, it's eyes blinking from the sudden exposure to light. The poor thing was stressed, possibly feral and not used to interacting with humans. It might be a while before it calmed down enough for a proper behavioral assessment.

  
These were the animals that tugged at her heart strings the most. They were so frightened, so vulnerable, their fear of being cornered turning them into a tangle of claws and teeth whenever approached. Many of these animals had never been loved or taken care of properly, had only known a life of desperation, hunger, and cold.

  
Therese imagined a history for each of these special residents, most often involving them bouncing from house to house, receiving a bowl of dinner scraps on the occasional back porch, but most often being shooed away by brooms and boots.  Orphaned, alone, unloved.  
She reached slowly towards the orange cat, palm up, fingers extended. She did not touch her, just laid her hand a few inches in front of the quaking ball of fur. She made eye contact with the cat and blinked lazily, signaling that she was not a threat.

“It’s ok,” she cooed, “nobody is going to hurt you now.” She held the pose for a long minute, breathing deeply and softly, blinking at the cat until she could see her visibly relax. The cat leaned down and touched her nose to the pad of Therese’s index finger, sniffing cautiously.

  
“That’s right, that’s progress.”

She stayed that way for another minute, not pressing for further contact. As she took deep, slow breaths, she sent good thoughts towards the cat, conjured a future home for her. She imagined a single woman adopting her, one who was nurturing, kind, and patient. One who could take her time letting the cat grow to love and trust her, eventually receiving the full measure of the animal's adoration, the two of them cuddled up in the evenings in front of a crackling fire. In her mind, the woman pressed her face to the fur of the cat warmed by the fire, rubbed her cheek against it.

  
Slowly she withdrew her hand, carefully replacing the food and water dishes in the cage and gently closing the cage door with a soft clink. She moved the towel back over the door of the cage.

  
She turned back to her cleaning cart and saw her friend, Dannie, heading towards her.

  
"Hey Bells, somebody's looking for ya."

She chuckled at the derivative of “Belivet”, hoping to god the visitor wasn't the insistent little prick who had hounded her for at least an hour last weekend, trying to get her to go on a date with him. She couldn't think of a polite way to say, "I don't play for your team," so she endured it by passing it off as a joke, hoping he would finally get the message and go away.

Dannie finally rescued her by saying he had an urgent issue in the private staff-only area that he needed her help with. They went together down to the utility closet, shutting the door behind them and erupting in a fit of giggles. After hiding out for 10 minutes, Dannie checked for her to make sure the coast was clear.

  
_If he's back, I'm just going to have to be more firm this time. Tell him in no uncertain terms that I'm not interested._

  
She wiped her hands on the back of her jeans as she walked down the hall towards the lobby. They gave her gloves to wear while she cleaned, but usually she pulled them off after 5 minutes, her hands too hot and sweaty in them. At the end of a shift, her hands were usually red and chapped from the bleach and frequent washing. Today was no different.

  
When she rounded the corner towards the front desk, she froze in her tracks.

  
It was _her_.

  
She was dressed in a tailored button-down shirt and snug-fitting soft tan pants tucked into brown riding boots. It was what you would have expected to see in a fashion magazine with the caption “Casual and stylish, suitable for visiting any local shelter.” The shock of seeing her in that setting had set Therese’s mind off and running on a series of inane thoughts, and she forgot to be self-conscious about her own stained t-shirt untucked over a pair of ratty jeans.

  
_She’s here to see ...me?_

  
She looked around to make sure no one else was in the lobby.

  
“Hi, Therese.”

  
_Oh hell, why did she have to say my name that way?_

  
Therese felt her legs turn to jelly at the sound of her voice.

  
“Hey,” she mumbled, assembling her face into what she hoped said cool confidence with a hint of disinterest.

  
With a nod of her head, Carol indicated Therese’s jacket that she had draped across one arm. It was pressed against her left breast.

  
_My jacket. Is. Touching. Her. Breast._

  
“I was worried you would be cold,” she smiled slyly, handing the jacket over to Therese. The jacket was still warm from where it had been pressed against Carol’s body.

  
“Thank you.”

  
“I was wondering if we could….” Carol glanced around the lobby…”talk?”

  
“Sure,” said Therese, making no effort to move from the spot.

  
“Well," Carol hesitated, "I was actually going to ask you a favor….well not exactly a favor, of course I’d pay you, but I need someone to look after Xena for a day or two.”

  
“Oh,” said Therese.

  
“I’d thought to ask you the other night, but we were so rudely interrupted by my ex-husband, and you left in such a hurry….” She trailed off, but Therese did not miss the emphasis she had put on the EX.

  
“Oh.” Therese said again, but this time it caught in her throat. “Well yes, I could do that.”

  
“Maybe we could discuss it over coffee?” Carol asked. “What time do you finish up here?”

  
“Actually, I’m almost done. Just have to put the cart away and give a treat to my favorite pooch. Won’t take me 5 minutes.”

  
“I’ll wait,” said Carol.


	6. If I could just have you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ladies meet over a java, but it's not just the caffeine that's making them jittery.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know you're reading this, my love. And I'm thrilled that you're enjoying it.  
> It's so hard to keep a straight face. I am a terrible liar.

Carol insisted on driving them both to the coffee shop.

It was a local place that roasted their own coffee, hip and a little bohemian. Threadbare couches were scattered about and paintings by local artists graced the walls. Therese was a little surprised Carol knew about the place. It was one of her favorites.

  
Carol placed her order and asked Therese what she wanted, laying a hand on Therese’s before she could reach into her pocket book.

“Of course, it’s on me.”

  
They waited for their order, not exchanging a word. Therese made herself look very interested in a couple of nearby art installations.

When they both had their drinks, Carol led the way over to a table in the back corner.

  
Therese sat awkwardly, her coffee too hot to sip yet; Carol watched her over the rim of her cup. Therese could swear the imposing woman was enjoying her discomfort. Her eyes were a mecurial blue-green today, like cracks in glacial ice.

  
She looked down at her disheveled clothes and rough hands, suddenly very aware of how she must look.

“Hell, I look a mess.”

  
“Language, young lady,” Carol cocked an eyebrow.

  
“You….” Therese stopped herself, not even sure what to say, flabbergasted, and then Carol started to laugh. Therese laughed too, a warm flush creeping over her chest and neck.

  
“Well, you could have warned me you were coming.”

  
“How could I? I didn’t even have your number. It took a bit of detective work to even figure out what shelter you volunteer at.”

  
“Oh.” Therese said again, and inwardly mocked herself at the response. It hadn’t even occurred to her that Carol would have to do some work to find her. It seemed like the woman would have naturally known how to find her at any time, by ancient homing instincts. She had a magical air about her that made Therese feel she could read her thoughts.

  
_Hope not._

  
Therese looked down, picking at a cuticle, and pondered her sudden appearance at the shelter.

  
_Carol had made an effort. To find her._

  
“Well, it was nice of you. To make the effort. To bring my coat, I mean. I just have the one.”

  
“I have to admit, I do have ulterior motives,” Carol smiled suggestively.

  
_Yes, this woman definitely enjoys seeing me rattled. And I am easy, easy, easy._

  
“And what are those?” Therese choked out, rushing to the next phrase, “You said……your dog?”

  
Carol sat up a little straighter, suddenly all business. “Yes, I am going out of town this weekend and was hoping you could look in on Xena. Usually I take her with me, but it would be much easier if I could just have you…..”

  
Carol fluttered her hand in the air, letting the last words hang.

  
Therese nodded.

  
Carol filled her in on the details, when she usually walked Xena, where she would leave the food.

  
She reached into her purse and pulled out a key, held her other hand out palm up towards Therese. When Therese stared dumbly at her hand, she wiggled her fingers, gesturing.

  
Therese held her hand out to Carol, and she took her by the wrist and flipped her hand palm up, cradling the back of her hand in her own. She pressed the key into her palm with her other hand. Therese’s hand was sandwiched between Carol’s, the soft smooth skin of her hands like a balm to the rough skin of her own. The key felt hot, like it was burning her hand.

  
“Now, I’m trusting you with this key," she chided, "I’ll leave my number on the counter so you can call me if anything comes up.”

  
Carol continued to hold Therese’s hand and she nodded, chewing her lip. Carol ran the tip of her thumb across the pad of her palm as she sat back into her chair, releasing her hands.

  
“And of course, I’ll pay you for your time and gas money.”

  
How the woman could go from blazing hot to icy cold in a split second was a mystery to Therese.


	7. A secret unravelling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Therese can't stop herself from snooping at Carol's house and gets more than she bargained for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For your listening pleasure:   
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akPwI92Y9S0
> 
> Baby dykes, don't say I never taught ya nothin'.

Therese thumped her hands on the steering wheel to the searing beat and sang along tunelessly, with abandon.

>   
>  _So messed up I want you here_   
>  _And in my room I want you here_   
>  _And now we're gonna be face to face_   
>  _And I'll lay right down in my favorite place_   
>  _Yeah, you know what that is_   
>  _Now I wanna…. be your dog_   
>  _Now I wanna…. be your dog_   
>  _Now I wanna…. be your dog_   
>  _C’mon!!_

  
It was a Joan Jett classic, and it had been a  persistent earworm for the last several days. Finally she acknowledged there was only one way to get it out of her head – she succumbed and downloaded the song so she could hear it in its entirety. She giggled at the ridiculous lyrics as she drove to Carol’s, poking at the housekey dangling from her keychain and watching it swing.

  
At the sight of the house, she felt pure joy. It was a beautiful day out, and the big maple in front had burst into flames of color. She opened the front door and walked in like she owned the place. Xena ran up to her right away, wagging her tail and smiling her doggie smile.

  
Therese walked into the kitchen and saw a note on the countertop beside a collar and leash.

>   
> In case you didn't know, these are for the dog.
> 
> Thanks again for taking care of Xena.
> 
> \- C

_Ha ha, very funny_. Therese grinned.

  
She took Xena out for a walk right away, not wanting to make the poor thing wait. The back yard was lovely, backing onto permanent greenspace with beautiful walking trails. The leaves on the ground were the perfect state of crunchy, making Therese feel like she was walking on potato chips. Xena frolicked and rolled in the leaves, both of them invigorated by the nippy air.

  
When they headed back in, she spent time with Xena in the living room playing fetch and tug of war. Carol had asked if she could just spend some time in the house with the sweet cuddly ball of fur, and Therese enjoyed every minute. It didn't hurt that she was surrounded by Carol's things, and she studied the objects on the mantel and the books on the bookshelf as if they would help her unlock the code that was Carol.

There were a few tasteful sculptures, some framed photos of a beautiful smiling girl who must have been her daughter. The books were a strange array - everything from poetry and short fiction to historical novels and autobiographies. She saw several titles she had read and enjoyed herself but was especially intrigued to see Adrienne Rich's poetry collection, Diving into the Wreck, tucked in amongst other modern poets. It was not a book she would expect to find on the shelves of an uptight, rich society woman - a _straight_ woman.

  
She didn't want to invade her privacy, not really, but the more she learned from Carol's things, the more she wanted to know. She felt drawn to the partially opened door at the end of the hallway. Somehow she knew that was Carol's room.

  
She tiptoed down the hall, passing by Rindy's room with the door flung wide open, animal posters on the wall, with stuffed animals and clothes scattered across the floor like a bomb had exploded.

  
She pushed Carol's bedroom door open a little further and poked her face inside, the smell of Carol assaulting her, citrus and sandalwood, something familiar and something exotic. Now that she was this far in, she couldn't resist.

She surveyed the bedroom, not at all what she had been expecting. She expected floral, gauzy, like the robe Carol had been wearing when they first met. Instead it was very plain, austere - solid colors, no patterns. The walls were a creamy white and the bed had a royal blue comforter on it with pale yellow pillows. Shaker style furniture, handsome but not at all ornamental, graced the room. There were no pictures on the walls, just some naked wall anchors indicating where pictures had once hung.

  
She walked over to the bed, put her hand on the comforter and ran it upwards to the pillows. She stroked the pillowcase.

  
_Her cheek laid here. Her hair._

  
It was a guilty pleasure to lean over and press her nose against the pillow, breathing in deeply. Surreptitiously she slid her hand underneath the comforter, sliding it against cloud-soft sheets.

  
_This must be what all the fuss is over high thread count._

  
She slid her hand back out again and rubbed the back of her hand against her cheek, closing her eyes and caressing herself.

  
_Well, now I've totally turned into a stalker. Might as well go for broke._

  
She flipped on the light in the walk-in closet and marveled at the racks of shoes, the elegant and stylish clothes, everything reeking of money and privilege. She ran her hand along a rack of blouses, the smell of Carol surrounding her. She felt giddy.

  
In the corner, she spied a pair of black patent leather stiletto boots with impossibly high heels and laces all the way up the front.

  
_Which of these things is not like the other?_

  
Therese knelt and touched the boots with the tips of her fingers, having a sudden vision of Carol in those boots. Where was the rest of the outfit? Maybe it was for a Halloween costume?

  
She couldn't help but feel a little swoony imagining Carol standing in those boots, perhaps in a red leather mini dress, her hands on her hips, her hair wild.

  
_OK, enough of that._

  
She turned to leave, but something caught her eye. There was a small trunk tucked in the corner, underneath a rack of folded pants. The lid was open.

  
Therese edged closer and peered inside. She gasped.

  
She saw a neat row of 4 leather strips dyed bright red with slots at even intervals.

  
A wooden handle attached to a large bundle of calfskin leather strips.

  
A wooden paddle.

  
A riding crop.

  
A blindfold.

  
A whip, coiled neatly in the corner, looking ready to strike.

  
_Shit. Shit. Shit._

  
Therese backed out of the closet, her heart hammering, keeping her eyes on the items in the trunk as if they might jump out at her of their own volition. She almost tripped on her own feet getting out of the bedroom. She pulled the door closed firmly behind her.

  
_Wow, rich people are freaky!_

She re-joined Xena in the living room, who was laying on a pillow in the sunshine, chewing contentedly on a rawhide.

  
"Well, gotta go, girl. Your Mom's one scary lady," she said to Xena shakily, patting her on her haunches. "Be back to give you your dinner and take you for another walk tonight."

  
Therese left the house, still trembling from the shock of it, trying to laugh it off.

  
For the next two days she kept her visits brief, and limited her time in the house to the living room and kitchen only. On her last trip in to visit Xena, she wrote a note underneath Carol's original one.

>   
> Obviously.   
> Xena was a very good girl. - T.B.

She locked up the house and drove back to her apartment, shoving down dark thoughts.


	8. Stress Relief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol takes a drive to the countryside to visit Abby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you following along in my little personal drama, the clue I left in the last chapter about Joan Jett kicked it right over the top, and my girlfriend figured it out and asked me if I was the author! Actually, she's my wife - proudly and legally - but that would have been too much of a clue to share too. Anyhow, it was a nice reveal and it's great fun being able to talk to her about the story now. But she wants to wait and read the chapters as they are posted just like you guys.
> 
> Hope all of you enjoy, but especially you, my sweet D!

Carol

Carol enjoyed the drive out to Abby's. Her own home seemed like it was in the country, until she made the comparison to Abby's - this was truly the country. It was a good hour's drive to a shopping mall or theatre, a half hour to a grocery store. 

She had her windows open a crack, enjoying the crisp air with a hint of woodsmoke and damp leaves. The mini Cooper was always fun to drive, and Carol had purchased a stick shift, stubbornly, because it gave her more control of the engine's power.

  
When she pulled into the circular drive in front of the rambling estate, she was delighted to see Abby already waiting for her, sitting on a wrought iron bench in the front gardens, smoking.

  
"Well hello there, beautiful!" Abby drawled, giving Carol a giant hug and a peck on the cheek.

  
Carol felt her whole body relax in Abby's presence, her shoulders drop. Abby was the person who she could be the closest to her real self with, her oldest and dearest friend. Somehow they had managed to navigate their relationship through the transition from friends, to lovers, then back to friends again....and now to something different, whatever this was. They didn't overthink it, they just knew it satisfied both of them in some primal way, and as long as they kept their boundaries clear, it didn't get messy.

  
They strolled up the paving stone walk and entered the giant house. No matter how many times Carol came back here, she always felt the rush of memory. This had been Abby's childhood home, and she had spent many weekends here in her teen years, and quite a few hours as an adult, too.  She always felt a pang of sadness for the gangly teenager she had been, so painfully awkward, all angles and elbows. The boys had made fun of her; she was taller than most of them, and they taunted her about her large feet.

  
She wished she could go back in time and have a chat with that girl, tell  her that it was all going to work out just fine. That one day, those boys would be speechless when she walked by and would grovel for a date.

  
Abby had been her solace then, the one who saw the beauty within her and told her so.

  
Abby had inherited the vast estate when her parents passed, along with the fortune that made her able to not work, or just play at work as the mood struck her.

  
Today Abby was dressed in her own quirky style as usual, a plaid pantsuit that would have looked horrid on anyone else but somehow suited her perfectly. Her smooth dark hair was pulled back and clipped neatly at her neck. As they sat at a table on the enclosed patio sipping coffee, Carol reached out and squeezed Abby's hand, smiling.

  
"Can I bum a cigarette?"

  
"Ridiculous question." Abby tapped a cigarette out of the pack and slid it over to Carol, then pulled out her lighter and held it to Carols face with a flourish. Carol leaned in and drew on the end of the cigarette, watching the comforting glow at the other end as it flamed into life.

  
She only smoked when she was with Abby. She had kicked the habit long ago, before becoming pregnant with Rindy, but something about the two of them together always demanded a smoke. She leaned back and closed her eyes, tilting her chin up in the air and exhaling through her nose, enjoying the forbidden nature of it just as much as the taste and the hit of nicotine to her system.

  
They spent several hours catching up on everything that had happened since they were last together. They both hated talking on the phone, so these catch up sessions were their way of connecting the past to the present. They understood at a deep level how important they were to each other, and no matter how long it was between phone calls and visits, there was never any keeping score about who had reached out the last time or the most frequently. Whenever they were together again, they were together - and they fell back into their usual ease of being.

  
"I just feel lost," Carol was saying. "I know all of this change is the best thing for me, and I should feel excited, but hell, I even find myself missing Harge sometimes."

  
"I know," said Abby, quietly. "It's natural. It's a big transition."

  
"With Rindy at Harge's every other week, I feel like she doesn't need me anymore. I'm superflous."

  
"Gawd, you ARE wound tight," Abby smirked, and Carol cocked her head questioningly.

"Whenever you are stressed or pissed off, you pull out your $2 words. Superfluous....holy hell." Abby shook her head solemnly until Carol burst out laughing, and Carol reached out and grabbed her shoulder, shaking her playfully.

  
"Well, speaking of stress, I understand you need a little stress relief yourself?" Carol's mouth was smiling, but her eyes were not.

  
Abby caught the look and swallowed visibly, nodding. "Ahhh yep."

  
"Let's go then." Carol stood up and walked back into the house, Abby following like a puppy. Carol found her bag and rifled through it, pulling out a deep purple leather collar edged in black. Abby's eyes shone when she saw it.

  
Carol held it in the air between her thumb and forefinger, her head tilted slightly upward, giving the air of a queen. She pointed at her feet, and Abby knelt immediately.

  
Carol sat on a chair beside her, leaning in close to wrap the collar around Abby's neck, latching it closed with a satisfying click. When she was done, she unclasped the silver bar that held Abby's hair, releasing it against her neck. She ran her fingernails under Abby's hair along her neck, scratching lightly, and she could feel the goosebumps raise under her nails.

  
She opened her hand and placed it on the back of Abby's neck, fingers pointing up, and slid her hand ever so slowly up to the crown of her head, raking her hair at the roots. When her hand was completely cradling the back of Abby's head she made a fist, gripping Abby's hair, pulling firmly until Abby tilted her head back to look up into her eyes. The kneeling woman couldn't stifle the groan that escaped her lips.

  
"Get undressed. Everything off but your panties."

  
"It's a good thing I wore a nice pair today. Of course, I knew you were coming." Abby couldn't stop the smart ass remark, but she saw the look of warning in Carol's eyes and shut up.

She stood up quickly and faced Carol, taking off each piece of clothing and folding it neatly, laying it on the coffee table.

  
Carol kept her eyes on Abby, her face showing no emotion, but her mind spun wildly.

  
_Damn, woman. How do you always manage to look so good?_

  
She drank in the soft curves of Abby, the lushness of her. Her breasts were heavy, pendulous, over a pale rounded belly. Carol twirled her finger and Abby spun around obediently, presenting her ass.

  
That ass. Sonnets could be written about it. It was soft and dimpled, slightly larger in proportion to the rest of her body. When Abby wore jeans, everyone wanted to walk behind her. Carol reached out and dragged her nails across the creamy surface, leaving just the faintest trail of red behind.

Abby shuddered.

  
"Time for the Fun Room," Carol said, and stood. Abby led the way down the stairs.

  
Abby had named it the "Fun Room" because she associated it with intense sensation...and intense pleasure. She rejected the idea of a "dungeon" - dungeons were dark, musty, and sinister, and bad things happened there.  
Her fun room was lit with glowing sconces, colorful abstract art on the walls, the walls themselves painted a vivid dark green. It was a place for creativity, for exploration, for wild abandon.

  
She had it equipped with the best that money could buy, a gleaming wooden St. Andrew's cross, a spanking bench, a comfortably padded bondage table that could tilt at an angle, a padded leather swing hanging from the rafters. Against the wall, a rack held a variety of sensation toys that would make any sex shop envious: floggers, a soft fleece glove, whips, clips, canes, nipple clamps....the most beautiful and expensive that could be purchased.

  
Carol walked over to the table beside the rack and retrieved soft padded cuffs and a blindfold. She walked over to Abby and stood in front of her quietly, towering over her, so close that Abby could feel her breath on the top of her head.

  
Carol reached for Abby's wrist, held it, snugged the soft cuff tight around it.

  
Abby let out an audible "ahhhh" and Carol smiled to herself. She was so easy. What a bondage slut.

  
She fastened the other cuff and motioned Abby to stand in front of the wooden cross, a giant X-shaped thing with attachment points at each corner. She put the blindfold on Abby and left her standing there.

  
Carol liked the anticipation most of all, being in control, making her wait. The tease of it was intoxicating. She could have left her standing there all day if she wanted, and Abby would have obeyed. Carol could feel a warm tingle between her legs and a heat throughout her body. No doubt about it, this was sexual - even if they had drawn a firm boundary that they would not be having sex. No, they were just "play partners," two people exchanging power, sharing sensation. This was how they kept it from being complicated.

  
Carol rummaged through the toys on the rack, intentionally making plenty of noise to keep Abby guessing. She pulled out a wide leather strap and slapped it against her hand, enjoying the satisfying smack. The thing sounded much more fierce than it was - it was two thick pieces of leather bound together, and when the leather strips hit each other with the slightest force, it sounded like the crack of a gunshot. She was like a kid in a candy store, Abby's extensive collection so much more varied than her small trunk of toys at home. Oh well, Abby had been collecting for a lot longer than she had. She had only been able to indulge her proclivities after Harge had moved out.

  
She walked over to the expensive surround sound system and flipped it on; she didn't recognize the music but she liked it, a hypnotic beat with a satisfying bass thump, sexy and low. She moved her hips sensuously, enjoying the beat, dancing over to the blindfolded woman and moving against her, her clothing rasping against Abby's naked skin. She noticed Abby's nipples were rock hard.

  
_Obviously, those need attention first._

  
She danced back over to the rack and selected some nipple clamps, a string of plastic clothespins, and a mitten of buttery soft rabbit fur. She grabbed a riding crop too, a wicked smile on her lips.

  
_Mmmm mmmm, so good._

  
This time she strode back over to Abby, intentionally making her heels click and echo louder in the room.

  
"Lean back against the cross," she growled, her voice steely.

  
Abby leaned back and couldn't help but smile, and Carol knew she was on the fast track to her happy place, her sub space. Carol felt powerful, a heady rush sweeping from her chest up to the top of her head and then back again to the tips of her toes. She was a goddess, an avenging angel, a weapon of destruction, a bringer of peace.

  
Carol secured each cuffed wrist to the top posts of the cross, leaving Abby exposed, vulnerable, her breasts jutting out as she leaned back against the cool wooden frame.

  
Carol brushed her fingertips across her rock hard nipples, teasingly, so lightly that Abby would have to wonder if she had actually been touched. Carol leaned down and blew hot breath on the bound woman's breasts, her lips so close they were almost touching the pert nipples.

  
Abby groaned, this time not holding anything in check. "Oh come on, please."

  
"I love it when you beg. You know it only makes me want to tease you more," Carol said with a satisfied smile.

She slipped her hand inside the fur mitt and slid it over Abby's belly, up the center of her torso between her breasts, around her neck, the tops of her shoulders. With her other hand, she dragged her nails along the same path, teasing, then making wide circles around each breast. She studiously avoided the nipples until Abby was rocking in her chains, trying to coax her hands toward those sensitive twin peaks.

  
She slipped the mitt off and tossed it on the floor, standing back again, waiting for Abby to still.

She leaned in and flicked her nails across those beautiful hardened buds, then took one in her fingers, pressing lightly at first, increasing the pressure, then starting to twist.

  
Abby's head rocked back against the cross, wincing, gasping. "Mmmmm....yessss."

  
Carol released the nipple, then reached for the clamps with the rubber tips and the chain connecting them. She clamped one on, then the other. She reached to adjust the screws for pressure, closely watching Abby's face for reaction. She knew her pain thresholds fairly well, but it could be different depending on time of the month, mood....so she always monitored her closely to make sure she was riding that line between pleasure and pain. And of course, Abby had her safewords in place - she knew it was her responsibility to let Carol know if she was taking it too far.

  
Carol tugged gently on the chain between the nipple clamps, watching those beautiful full breasts heave up and down. She dragged her fingers around the breasts, cupping underneath them, lifting them, dropping them. She dug her fingers into the soft flesh and relished the sensuous feel of it. She closed her eyes and flashed back to the many times she had cupped these breasts as a lover, put her mouth on them, caressed them in the throes of passion.

  
She ran her nails from the tops of Abby's shoulders down the sides of her arms, eliciting squeals of pleasure. She pinched gently at the skin inside Abby's upper arm, a few inches below her armpit. She ground her teeth a little and increased the pressure, watching Abby's face with the look of an intrigued scientist.

  
Abby's mouth opened and she breathed, heavily, sucking in air.

  
Carol started to attach the string of plastic clips in a row extending up her inner arm, across the tops of her breasts, and to the top of her other arm. Each clip drew a gasp or a small sigh from Abby, depending on location, how much flesh was caught in the little clip.

  
Carol knew they hurt a little going on, but they hurt a lot more coming off, when the blood rushed back into each little nub of flesh. She could tell by Abby's face that her endorphins were starting to kick in - soon she would be flying high.

  
She lifted the crop and smacked lightly against her breasts, tapping. She growled wickedly and tapped it against Abby's cheeks, slapping her gently with the crop. She raised her hand to Abby's throat and gripped it, firmly, pushing her head back.  She knew this was a trigger point for Abby - she could feel the bound woman melting underneath her grip.

She leaned in close and whispered low in her ear, "You. Are. Such. A. Slut."

Abby whimpered softly and when she released her throat, Abby sagged in her bonds.

  
Carol darted out her tongue to lick softly at the edge of her ear, sinking her teeth into the tender lobe for just a moment. Abby moaned. 

  
She stepped back and continued little smacks with the crop, interspersing whacks to those lovely breasts with direct hits to the nipple clamps and clothespins. The reaction was decidedly different, and Abby bounced whenever one of the clamps was tapped.

  
Carol dropped the crop and leaned in against Abby again, pressing her whole body against her, stretching her arms up to lace her fingers into Abby's, nuzzling into her neck.

  
"Good girl," she cooed, "good girl."

  
Abby made a guttural noise, primal, hungry.

  
Carol could tell by the sound that Abby was deep in her sub space, completely free, uninhibited. She could do anything to her now, the woman would allow her anything. But she wouldn't - that was why Abby trusted her so.

  
She tugged at her hair again, playfully, watching Abby give herself completely.

  
She stepped back from her and stood watching her, quietly, for a few minutes, enjoying the sight of her bound, helpless, hearing her soft panting. She looked down at Abby's black silk panties and saw an obvious wet spot.

She smiled proudly. Yes, she had done her job, and done it well.

  
She moved in close, and her smile turned to one of pure evil, mischief sparking her eyes. She pulled the blindfold off of Abby to let her see the look on Carol's face.

Abby blinked at the light, groggy, her eyes glazed.

  
"Are you ready?"

  
Abby's brow wrinkled a little, worried for a moment. "Shit, I don't know" she slurred.

  
"Well, it doesn't matter. Because I'm ready."

  
Carol reached quickly for one of the nipple clamps and snatched it off roughly.

  
Abby threw her head back and opened her mouth noiselessly, holding her breath for a moment, then releasing ..."Ahhhheeeeeee!!!!"

  
She rocked back and forth against the cross, tugging at the cuffs on her wrists. Carol rolled the freed nipple between her fingers gently as the blood rushed back into that oh-so-sensitive place. Carol released her - she shuddered finally and went still. 

Carol reached her fingers to the other nipple clamp, fondling it tenderly. Abby's eyes went to her hand, fixated.

  
Carol scratched her fingernails around the nipple, pressing at the sides of it. She thumped at it, watching it bounce. Then she just held the clamp between her fingers, holding it, watching Abby. Abby's eyes finally lifted back up to hers.

  
At the moment their eyes made contact, Carol wrenched off the other clamp, watching Abby's eyes almost go black, biting into her lip, moaning.

  
"And now, for the finale," Carol grinned, reaching for the end of the clothespin string, called a "zipper."

  
With a jerk of her arm she popped off each clothespin one by one in rapid succession, leaving a blazing trail of fire across Abby's upper arms and chest, little red raised welts marking the path.

  
"AAAYYY AHHH EEEEEEEEE!!!!" Abby shrieked, a high pitched wail that sounded close to her orgasm cry. Carol just stood back and enjoyed the show, Abby bucking wildly, trapped, pinned like a butterfly against a board. She was coated with a sheen of sweat, which, in the low light of the fun room only made her curvy body more beautiful.

It was a work of art, a masterpiece of Carol's creation.

  
When Abby calmed again, sagging against the cuffs, Carol stepped up and unclipped her from the cross tenderly, wrapping her in a soft fleece throw, half carrying her over to a plush chaise to lay her down and snuggle in against her.

  
She wrapped her arms around her tightly, murmuring softly, kissing the top of her head.

  
"Mmmm, you were so good, so good for me."

  
Abby was like a rag doll in her arms. Carol knew she was as high as a kite, high on her own body chemistry, the lovely endorphins scouring her veins and clearing all the thoughts from her head. Carol had experienced it a few times herself, and she felt the smallest pang of envy as she gazed down at Abby.

  
Slowly, she unbuckled the cuffs, rubbing each wrist gently to get the circulation going. Abby trembled softly against her, nuzzling into the warmth of her bosom.

  
Carol held her tightly as she flew, out of her own body, escaping from her mind. She stroked her hair like a mother, cradling her, keeping her safe. Abby's breath hitched in her chest.

  
After a long while she gazed up at Carol, tears of gratitude in her eyes.

  
"Thank you....thank you."

  
Carol reached a soft hand to brush a tear from her cheek.

  
"You're welcome, darling."

  
"You were amazing."

  
_I know_ , Carol thought, and smirked.

  
"Let's get you to bed," she said, and helped Abby up the stairs and into her room, making sure she had gotten into her pajamas and safely into bed before making her way to the cool, quiet guest room.


	9. Too Damned Late

Carol awoke the next morning to the smell of bacon.

_A happy Abby is a generous Abby_ , she mused.

Lazily she strolled into the kitchen, yawning and waving to the woman humming softly at the stove.

"Good morning!" she chirped. Carol had never been a morning person, and Abby's obnoxious cheery morning personality was usually a bit much for her to take, but she would excuse it this morning - hell, she would even take credit for it.

"Good morning, sunshine," she croaked. "Coffee."

Abby brought her a steaming mug and went back to the stove to cover a plate in fried eggs, bacon, and toast. She brought the plate over to Carol, beaming. "Made you some breakfast!"

"I see that. Thank you."

"I've already eaten - been up since sunrise."

Carol nodded. "I'm sure you have. Did you sleep well?"

Abby's smile stretched from ear to ear, "Like an angel. Best sleep I've had in months." Her expression changed, softened, "Really, thank you. You are the best gift."

Carol smiled, "The pleasure was all mine."

"Nope." Abby smirked. "Not true. I'm pretty positive I had plenty of pleasure."

Carol sighed contentedly, so happy to be with her friend and thanking the stars for the millionth time that they had been successfully able to slip into this new phase of their friendship. It had not always been easy, and there was definitely jealousy when Carol first got together with Harge, especially since she insisted that their relationship become purely platonic.

Of course, there had still been secret moments when Abby would be particularly bratty to egg her on, and Carol would smack her a little harder than what most would consider a playful smack. The sexual tension with them was always there, just boiling under the surface.

As Carol's relationship with Harge had deteriorated, she had shared her dalliances with Abby, filling her in on her conquests, and Abby was non-judgemental, actually encouraging her to pursue her flirtations with bored housewives and society women.

And Abby was, as always, eager to share her latest smutty adventure; when she had invited Carol to her estate to see her newly built "Fun Room" for the first time, Carol had gasped and felt a hunger deep within her bubbling up like lava. She remembered vividly the searing heat she had felt, and her desperation as she had dragged Abby away from the sexy basement play room for them to cool down and talk.

The last thing she would ever want to do is ruin her friendship with Abby, and she knew that if they made a rash decision while all the bloodflow had left their brains and made its way to points south, they would only regret it in the morning. The women drank ice water, took many deep breaths, and talked through rationally how they could explore their common interests together without getting sexually and emotionally entangled.

It had been an uncomfortable negotiation, but they had clearly defined their limits and boundaries - and it was a relief to Carol to discover, once and for all, that Abby was no longer romantically interested in her. So here they found themselves, friends with some benefits, and they easily transitioned from the intensity of the night before back into an easy banter, making plans for the day to do some shopping before Carol headed home.

That evening, as Carol piloted the mini through the sweeping countryside, the lightness she had felt in her spirit receded, replaced by a weight settled into her chest. It felt heavier the closer she got to home. She knew when she got there, the house would be empty. Well, except for Xena.

_Thank the gods for Xena._

She wondered how the weekend had gone for Therese, if she had enjoyed being at the house. Several times during the weekend she had thought of her, had wondered if she was in Carol's house right now. Something in her heart lurched at the thought of her being there, in her space.

She indulged herself in a fantasy of the sweet young thing at her house, waiting for her, greeting her at the door when she got home. Carol would find something to tease her about, push her buttons just so she could see that adorable blush creeping into her cheeks. No, adorable was too soft of a word - when Therese blushed, she was irresistible.

Yes, making her blush, then kissing her. She would lean her against a wall, press her hungry mouth to those blushing cheeks, the flushed chest, then finally devour her mouth.

Carol gripped the steering wheel tightly and shifted in her seat, the place between her thighs throbbing.

Her hands would slide to that delicate, slender throat , cup her pointed chin firmly in her grip as she kissed her. Her hands would be all over Therese, feeling the firmness of her breasts, pressing her thumbs into the peaks of her hipbones, clutching her ass and pulling her closer into her. She would have her for dessert - taste every part of her.

When she pulled into the driveway, she halfway expected to see Therese's car there, waiting for her, waiting with Xena. But no, the driveway was empty.

She unlocked the front door and could hear Xena's excited nails skittering across the hardwoods before she saw her. The house echoed, her heels tapping, empty - quiet like a museum. Xena followed her, and she reached her hand down absently to ruffle the fur over her ears.

"Did you have a good time, sweetness? Did Therese play ball with you?"

The dog answered with wags so enthusiastic that her whole behind shook.

_Yes, I feel that way about her too._

She walked into the kitchen and checked the note by the collar and leash.

There was her own:

 

> In case you didn't know, these are for the dog.  
>  Thanks again for taking care of Xena. - C

And scrawled below it, Therese's reply:

 

> Obviously.
> 
> Xena was a very good girl. - T.B.

Carol frowned, studying every letter of the note. Something about that did not sound right.

She walked back through the house, looking forward to a nice shower after her drive. She took off her earrings as she moved down the hallway, kicking off her shoes in the middle of the bedroom floor.

She stripped off her clothes quickly, efficiently, turning the shower to steaming hot. Carol stepped in and let the water wash over her, cleanse her, scour away her senses. She leaned slightly against the shower wall, letting the hot water do its work, releasing her from any thoughts except the sensation of the water, the droplets on her skin. She bent her neck to lick some water off her shoulder, pressing a kiss to herself there. Wishing she could feel someone else's lips there.

Letting her fantasy seep in again, now touching Therese in the shower, her skin pressed against the steamy shower door, Carol's hands on her shoulders, pushing her down...down. Looking down between her legs to see that gorgeous face framed between her thighs, all eyes, the rest of her face obscured by the hair of Carol's sex. Her hair matted, water running down her forehead, water droplets speckling her firm flawless skin.

Carol groaned softly and shook her head to clear it.

_Not now, save the rest of it later for when you're in bed._

She stepped onto the thick white bathmat, wiping her feet, grabbing a towel and rubbing it all over her body. She could barely see herself through the fog on the mirror. A woman obliterated, without identity, a misty shadow that almost wasn't there. She ran her fingers through her hair, not bothering to comb out her curls.

_Where is she? When should I call her?_

She walked back into the bedroom and laid across the bed, rolling on top of the comforter like an animal, feeling the softness on her back. She rolled over on her stomach and crossed her feet in the air behind her, stretching, chewing on a fingernail.

Tired body and restless mind.

She looked at the clock. It was after 10. Definitely too late.

Tomorrow she'll be at work until....6 or so? So maybe I'll call at ...7:30. Yes, 7:30 seems right, not too anxious, but not too late, just in case...

_Well, in case she wants to come over._

Carol groaned again, this time with tiredness, as she pulled herself up off the bed, walking into her closet to retrieve her nightgown.

She froze, looked at the open toybox in the corner.

_No._

She shook her head, looking back at the bedroom door. Had it been closed when she walked in? Yes, it had. And she always kept it open for Xena, so she could move freely about the house.

Had Therese been in here? Seen her private stash? How stupid she had been to leave that open, to not place the lock back on it that she always kept there for Rindy's sake.

She had been in such a hurry, grabbing the purple collar at the last moment for Abby.

She felt exposed, vulnerable....idiotic.

_Maybe she didn't see_ , she soothed herself. _Maybe she just shut the door because she thought I wouldn't want Xena on the bed. Maybe she just...._

But no. The note. It was so...frosty.

She looked at the clock again, reminding herself it was too late to call.

_Too damned late._


	10. You get what you pay for

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol tries to explain, but will Therese listen?

Carol couldn't wait any longer. She had been in agony all day, clock-watching. She called Therese at 6:15, tapping her fingernails impatiently on the kitchen counter as the phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's Carol."

"Hi."

Carol waited a moment for more, but there was only silence and static.

"So, just calling to see how everything went with Xena."

"It was fine."

Carol sighed, frustrated. Getting this girl to talk was like pulling teeth.

"Did anything....interesting happen during the weekend?"

"Nope." Therese replied insolently.

"Well, I was wondering when you wanted to bring the key back and get your money. Would....this evening be ok?"

"Sure," Therese said flatly. "I can be there in 20 minutes."

It was the longest 20 minutes she could recall spending since childbirth. Carol paced in the living room, gulping at a glass of wine.

_What to say, what to say. How can I get her to talk to me?_

Finally a soft knock came at the door and Carol hurried to open it.

She plastered on a smile. "Come in!"

"Oh, I can't stay," Therese examined her shoes, refusing to make eye contact with her. "Here's your key," she mumbled, handing it over and holding it by the pointy end.

"Well....you have to come in and see Xena, she'd be heartbroken if you didn't just visit for a moment," Carol struggled, searching for something to draw her in.

_And she's not the only one._

"OK, but just for a minute." Therese slunk into the house, looking even smaller than Carol had remembered her from before.

Xena raced over to greet her, pressing a drooly tennis ball at her hand insistently.

 _You can't fool animals_ , Carol pondered. _It's like they can see into your soul_.

Therese smiled softly in spite of herself, tugging the slimy ball from the dog's mouth and flipping it across the room. The dog's nails skittered across the hardwood as she chased the ball with wild abandon, skidding to a stop to retrieve it. The game went on for a few minutes with Carol just standing, watching the two.

Tentatively, she perched on the arm of the couch nearest Therese, reached out to touch her shoulder. Therese jumped as if she had been scalded, not moving away completely, but looking very stiff and uncomfortable under the touch.

Carol withdrew her hand quickly. "Look, I think you might have seen something when you were here."

Therese toyed with Xena's ear, ignoring the offered ball.

"If there's something you want to know, just ask me." Carol tried to keep the desperation out of her voice, "You can ask me anything."

Therese shook her head slowly.

Carol's voice now sounded pleading to her own ears, "I....there are some things in my private life. I want you to know I'd never do anything to hurt...."

Therese cut her off, "Hey lady, it's none of my business what you do in your private life."

Carol winced. _Lady_. It was so impersonal, it stung.

She straightened herself, stood again. "Of course. Well, I hope you'll be discrete."

She turned and headed for the foyer, her purse.

"Sure," Therese mumbled.

Carol waited by the front door, signaling that this meeting was officially over. She could feel a sickening roll in the pit of her stomach, and she gritted her teeth to maintain composure. She opened the door for Therese and shoved a wad of bills into her hand, lifting her chin imperiously.

_Take your money._

"If you continue in this dog-sitting line of work, you wouldn't want to get a reputation for invading your client's privacy."

Therese dropped her head and looked at the roll of money in her hand, thinking it looked surprisingly fat for a weekend of dog-sitting.

"Right," she said quietly as she walked out into the night chill.

"Goodnight," said Carol, and shut the door behind her before she was even off the front porch.

Carol snapped the deadbolt on the heavy door and sagged against it, her face crumpling.

A hot knife was in her chest twisting, boiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi and thanks to all of you who have continued to follow this series.  
> Please do take the time to leave a comment if you are so inclined - I really do enjoy every one, even if it's just an "I dig this."  
> Hope you like the chapter...or actually, I kinda hope you really hate this chapter, but in a good way. LOL


	11. A Gay Ray of Sunshine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Therese's subconscious, and her best friend Danny, try to tell her something - but yet again, will she listen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the delightful comments so far - please keep them coming, they make my day!  
> At the point when Therese listens to Ben Lee's "Cigarettes will Kill You," I've inserted a link. (Don't worry, the song is not an anti-smoking campaign ad).   
> Wonder if any of you would be willing to try stopping at that point and listening to a little of the song with your eyes closed and pretend to be Therese for a minute? Maybe it's lame, maybe I'm just biased because I would put that song on repeat during a particular angsty period in my life. Anyhow, if you try it, let me know if it did anything for you.

If the wetness in her panties had been morning dew before, now it was a river, a raging torrent.

The woman who stalked her dreams now wore black stiletto boots and carried a whip. She was equally untouchable as if she still wore the plates of armor.

Therese was so disturbed by the images, and by her body's reaction to them, that she kept herself awake late into the night, not daring to go to sleep before she had reached the point of total exhaustion. She had known enough of cruelty already to last her a lifetime, and she did not intend to invite more into her life willingly. A parade of foster "parents" marched through her mind, each inflicting his or her own particular type of wound. The hitting, the bruises, the harsh words that could cut like a knife - these things she understood all too well. It was a language carved into her skin since before conscious thought.

And yet, her mind replayed the hurt on Carol's face when she had called her "Lady." She looked as if she had been slapped.

That full, luscious red mouth had drawn itself into a thin, hard line. Surely someone who had such a dark heart would be impervious to the scorn and contempt of others. Still, recalling the look in her eyes made Therese feel sick. And it had been her own damned fault for being a snoop.

_But it was a good thing I found that out about Carol now - before things went too far._

She paced her apartment, putting [Ben Lee's "Cigarettes will Kill You"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXDcXSpKOHU%20) on repeat.

She sang out loud at the end, the repeated lament "I wish everyone was wrong."

Oh well, whenever life got stressful or confusing, there was only one thing to do: call Dannie.

She called him her "little gay boyfriend," and she talked to him at least once a week. Dannie was her hedonistic ray of sunshine, all id, except he would do anything for her. When she had first moved into town, practically destitute, he had let her sleep on a foam mattress on the floor of his studio apartment. He never asked her when she was planning to move out, just let her get slowly on her feet and find a job, saving up enough money for a deposit on her own apartment.

Therese found it so easy to be with him, so fun. She could flirt outrageously with him, because it was safe - there was no chance of an actual sexual attraction on either side. With him, she was the girl she wished she could be at the queer bar, smiling, open, free - huggy, even. Whenever they went to the bar together, he teased her mercilessly about her total lockdown state. He would egg her on, trying to get her to approach this or that woman she found attractive. But he knew when not to push too hard, when it was too close for her.

Her heart melted a smidge when she saw him romp into the coffee shop, 15 minutes late as per usual. He was a tiny bit of a thing, boyishly handsome, with sparkly blue eyes crinkled at the corners. He was older than he looked at first glance, in part because of his size, but he would never tell Therese exactly how old.

He practically ran over to her and flung his arms around her dramatically. "Darling!" he exclaimed, loud enough for everyone in the shop to hear, "where have you been all my life?"

She giggled, not even minding the attention. He made her feel special, pretty.

"Sit down, you goof!" she snickered.

They settled in with their drinks. Dannie had, of course, gotten something fancy with at least 4 words in the name and a low fat whipped cream on top, while Therese had gotten her standard dark roast, black, with Splenda. They talked about nothing for a bit, about Dannie's work, the new couple who had moved in next door to his apartment, the guy who hit on him at a charity race not even bothering to hide his wedding ring. His eyes flashed, though, and she knew he wanted to say something to her. She waited for it, and finally there it was.

"Bells....who on earth was that vision who came to see you at the shelter?" he drawled "Lord almighty, I thought she was going to set off the sprinkler system!"

Therese laughed and filled him in about Carol, playing it off as just a casual acquaintance and not the lurid obsession that it was.

He could see right through her. "Spill it."

"OK." She sighed, "So, it's like this. I'm totally obsessed with her. I have never been so insanely attracted to someone in my life. But I've been trying to like....figure her out, you know? She has an ex-husband and a kid so I don't even know if she's into women but....I could swear she is flirting with me."

"Ya think??" Dannie rolled his eyes. "She came to the shelter looking for you."

"Well, yeah. And I thought that was a good sign. But then, last weekend I was housesitting for her dog and I accidentally saw something I shouldn't have and now I know she's a sex freak but in spite of myself I am still having all these crazy dreams about her and she is totally in my head!" It all came out in a mad rush, and she stopped to take a breath.

Dannie's eyebrows were almost up to his hairline. "Whoa whoa whoa, wait a minute. What exactly did you see??" Therese described to him in detail all the things she saw in the trunk....and the black knee high boots.

Dannie hid a smile behind the back of his hand.

"What are you smiling at, jackass?"

"Well, it's not like you found a human head in there or.... god forbid, a Harlequin romance novel. Mama's just gettin' her kink on, it's all good."

Therese sat back and looked at him, exasperated. "What in hell are you talking about?"

"BDSM, honey! it's quite chic these days!" Therese wished desperately he would lower his voice, just for once. She noticed a couple of patrons at a table nearby casting curious glances in their direction.

"Sure, sure I know about it," she said, acting like she knew more than she actually did. "Have you....done that? Whips and chains stuff, I mean?"

He laughed again, but she didn't feel he was laughing at her. His eyes were kind. He could see she was tormented.

"I've done a little, it's just not my bag," he leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially, "but you know who's really into it?"

"No," she breathed. "Who?"

"Craig."

"Shut up! The hunky lawyer? Don't tell me he likes to get tied up and spanked over the desk in his office!"

"Oh no, quite the opposite, actually. He's a big leather Daddy in the scene - practically all the local pervs know who he is."

"Leather Daddy," Therese said the words uncertainly, trying not to show that she had no idea how these two words could go together.

"Yep. I fooled around with him a couple of times, but he was so straight-laced...."

"Wait....straight-laced. Leather. Daddy. This does not compute," she interrupted.

Dannie nodded, "There's an organized kink community, they meet in secret locations to share play space. The group that Craig's in has all sorts of rules about ethical behavior, having a safeword, negotiating boundaries, only playing when you're sober, blah blah blah."

Dannie rolled his eyes, and Therese had known immediately what the real problem had been between him and Craig - Dannie loved his wine too much to give it up, even for an evening.

"So much communication - we had to talk talk talk about everything, and it was too damn exhausting. I liked him better as a friend, anyhow. Super nice guy, the kind you could take home to Mother."

Therese let the words sink in, trying to understand.

_Is Carol part of one of these communities? Does she go to secret locations and follow rules about how to be kinky?_

She decided it definitely deserved a little more investigation. Before she left, she hugged Dannie tightly, the one adult she could get her arms all the way around and then some. "Thanks for the talk, jackass," she said.

"You're welcome, Bells-bitch," he said, walking off, then looking back over his shoulder. "You really should call her. That kind of hotness does not stalk you every day."

At home, she sat down at her computer and set Google on fire.

> Leather Daddy
> 
> Leather....Mommy?
> 
> BDSM
> 
> kink

She read late into the night, occasionally stumbling into some very dark corners of the internet, but just as often finding thoughtful, well-written articles about mutually consenting adults, the dynamics of power exchange, and the reasons why some people like a little pain mixed with their pleasure.

She switched over to YouTube and clicked on the video for the Red Hot Chili Pepper's "Aeroplane."

> I like pleasure spiked with pain
> 
> And music is my aeroplane
> 
> It's my aeroplane
> 
> Songbird sweet and sour Jane
> 
> And music is my aeroplane
> 
> It's my aeroplane
> 
> Pleasure spiked with pain
> 
> That mother fucker always spiked with pain

_Maybe this stuff is a little more mainstream than I thought._

She finally slipped into bed in the wee hours of the morning, thankful that she didn't have work the next day. She woke with the sun blazing through the windows, the ache between her legs unbearable, and her juices soaked through to her pajama bottoms.

She slipped her hand down her belly and underneath the waistband of her panties, stroking the soft curls for a moment before sliding lower, finding the hot, slick little nub of flesh that was swollen and craving her touch. She moaned, giving in to the dream she had last night....Carol in her boots, Carol standing over her, her hands on her hips, Carol leaning down to kiss and bite at her lips, her neck.

The images of Carol intermingled with her internet research from the night before. She wondered what it felt like to be bound, helpless. She balled up a corner of her sheet and pushed it into her mouth like a gag.

She rocked her hips as she touched herself, and it wasn't long until she came, shuddering, whimpering. But her need was unsatisfied, the ache returning almost immediately, and she touched herself again, rubbing the sweet spot until she was covered in sweat and her wrist ached.

She tossed around in the bed, grinding her teeth, feeling an itch she couldn't quite scratch. She couldn't reach it, it was a never ending cycle of desire and ache, peak, brief respite, and more desire. With each orgasm the next one took longer, required more work and concentration - she was so slick that she could barely get friction, wiping her fingers off on the inside of her panties before delving in between her lips again.

Finally she pounded the mattress in frustration, forcing herself to sit and then stand on legs that were so wobbly she had to hold on to the nightstand to stay upright. She stripped off her sodden underwear and flung them into the corner.

_Damn her. What has she done to me?_

Her mouth was parched. She staggered, naked, into the tiny kitchen and gulped down 2 glasses of water, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. She could smell herself on her fingers. Her hair was a wild tangle and she panted, mouth open, eyes dark. Her thighs were slick, sticky and she arched her back, stretched, scratched her flanks.

Her two cats were sleeping on the back of the couch. The fatter one, Trixie, woke up, stretched, jumped down with a "clump." She rubbed against Therese's legs lazily, and Therese laughed at her, talking to her in a high pitched voice, "I know, you want your breakfast!" She reached down and stroked the top of her downy, tortoise-shell colored head before lurching towards the shower.

The hot water felt like heaven, making her human again. Her fingers scratched roughly at her scalp, working the shampoo in deep, sighing softly as she enjoyed the pull and tug on her hair. She had picked the floweriest, girliest scented soap from her cabinet and lathered with an exorbitant amount of bubbles.

She was careful to wash every inch, working the washcloth between each toe, stretching her arms to soap her upper back. When she reached the juncture of her thighs she was so tender, carefully soaping the place where she had almost rubbed herself raw.


	12. Dirty Laundry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Therese offers Carol an olive branch - or rather, a stuffed animal, which is the lesbian equivalent.

Carol

The day was too rainy for a run outside, so Carol took her frustrations out on the treadmill in her finished basement. She was blasting dance music, increasing the speed and elevation, working up a nice sweat.

She heard the "thump" of a backpack hit the floor upstairs and smiled. Her Rindy was home. Her darling girl.

The girl came running down the stairs, thin, gawky, with that golden hair and pointy chin. She reminded Carol so much of herself as a child that sometimes she ached with the sweetness of it - her little echo. Loving this child had made her more loving of herself, more sympathetic and tender to the child that she had been. She had forgiven herself for so many things, soothed so many ancient wounds, laughed at the moments which had previously brought her embarrassment - all on Rindy's behalf, because she knew she would forgive Rindy for those same things, would cherish her all the more for it.

"Mom, look what was on the front porch!" she held a small stuffed animal - a golden retriever with a jaunty red kerchief around its neck. "But wonder what somebody wants me to forgive them for?" Rindy fingered a small card attached to the toy.

Carol furrowed her brow, shut off the treadmill, and held out her hand, "Let me see it."

She read the card, and a thousand butterflies flapped their wings inside her ribcage.

"I'm sorry. Forgive me? - T"

Carol tried to hide how flustered she was in front of her daughter. She laughed, nervously, "Oh, it's actually for me. One of my friends, playing a silly joke."

Rindy looked disappointed. "Can I have it? You don't even like stuffed animals."

"No, I'm keeping this one," she said thoughtfully, "But tell you what....I'll take you to the Hobby House this weekend and you can pick out something for yourself."

Rindy brightened. It was still her favorite store, and one that she had not, thankfully, grown out of yet. "OK Mom!" she said, running back up the stairs and shouting "Homework!"

"I'll bet," thought Carol, but only if "homework" meant reading more of the Judy Blume book she had given her. Such a bookworm.

Carol looked closely at the little card, turning it in her fingers as if she would suddenly find more words there. She brought the stuffed animal to her nose and breathed in, imagining she could just catch a whiff of Therese there.

She wished she could call her, but it was already past time for her to jump in the shower before taking Rindy to her piano lesson. She needed time to think, too. What did this mean, exactly?

By the next morning, she had decided not to overthink it, to just let it be. The woman felt sorry for....for leaving so quickly? For acting cold? Regardless, she had sent a peace offering, probably in hopes that they could be friends. And Carol was just so happy to be able to talk to her again, to hear her voice, and hopefully....to see her. She had slept with the little stuffed dog clutched close to her chest all night.

She dropped Rindy off at school and rushed home to call Therese. She wished for a cigarette right about now, sure it would steady her hand as she clutched the phone, dialing her number.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's Carol," good lord, this already felt like a repeat of their last horrible conversation. She rushed ahead, "I got the mini Xena you sent me....and the note. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Therese said, her voice small and hoarse. "I just felt bad the way we ...left things. I didn't want you to think I hated you."

"No, I didn't....well, yes, I actually did think that. But I'm glad to know you don't."

Therese laughed a little, then started to cough, barking like a lovesick walrus. A deep, moist rattle was coming from her chest.

Carol looked at the phone quizically, a look of concern crossing her face. "Goodness, you sound awful!"

"Oh it's nothing, just a cold," Therese croaked.

"Are you running a fever?"

"I don't know...probably not."

"You don't know?? How could you not know? Take your temperature!"

"I will....later. I need to pick up a thermometer and I just don't feel like going out in this icky weather right now."

Carol's eyes narrowed, "Are you at least taking some medicine?"

Therese hesitated. "No," she said in a small voice. "Don't pick on me, I just don't want to go back out but I will tomorrow, ok?"

"Not acceptable," Carol said, feeling an overwhelming urge to take care of the girl sweep over her. "Give me your address. I'll pick up some things and bring them over."

The other end of the line was quiet for a moment, "But my place is a wreck, I can't have you see it like this!"

"I don't care," said Carol firmly. "And don't you dare let me catch you cleaning. You drink some water and lie down, and I'll be there in an hour or so."

"Yes Ma'am," Therese croaked, her giggling turning into another fit of coughing. "And....thank you."

Carol arrived at Therese's just a little after 11:00, armed with all the things a sick person would need: a thermometer, ibuprofen, cough syrup, tea bags, lemon, Gatorade, soup. When Therese let her in, Carol laughed at the way her mouth hung open at the sight of the grocery bags hanging from Carol's arm.

"Did you buy the whole store?" she quipped, but Carol could see from the girl's feverish face and glazed eyes that it was taking all of her effort just to stay upright.

"Go on and sit down, I'll take care of this." Carol looked around the shabby little apartment, the furniture on the older side but funky, colorful. She put the bags on the counter in what could only be called a kitchenette, pulling out the thermometer and washing it.

Therese watched her, wide-eyed. She was wearing the softest-looking tan sweater, a dark skirt that came to just above her knees, tights, boots. She looked like she had just come from being the sexiest mother at the PTA meeting.

"First things first," she said, walking over to Therese huddled under a blanket on the couch. She held the thermometer to her lips and waited for her to open her mouth, sliding the cool instrument under her tongue.

A plump tortie cat inserted herself between the two of them and butted her head against Carol's hand. Carol laughed and ran her fingers through the thick fur.

"That's Trixie," Therese said, slurring her words around the thermometer. "The other one you probably won't see, she always hides from strangers."

"Shhh," said Carol, "You have to keep your mouth closed."

Carol stroked her hand all the way down the cat's back and grinned as she arched and raised her backside. She turned her attention back to Therese, pressing the back of her hand to Therese's damp, hot forehead. "I don't even need the thermometer, I know you have a fever."

The thing beeped and she pulled it out, reading 100.5 on the display. Therese looked up at her pitifully. Carol brought over ibuprofen and a glass of water, then busied herself in the kitchen making some tea. Therese was quiet, compliant, leaning against the couch with her eyes closed.

When the tea was ready, Carol brought it to her and perched beside her to watch her drink it. "That should make you feel a little better."

Therese looked at her through the steam of the tea, her eyes watery. "I don't know how you can be so nice to me. I was awful." She sniffled a little. "I...I'm....sorry I judged you."

"Nonsense," Carol said softly, "there's no need to mention that again. We will just move on from here, pretend that never happened, and hopefully pretend I wasn't so careless to leave my personal business out in the open." She watched the slender throat of the girl as she swallowed, noticed the oversized t-shirt with the low neckline, her collar bones showing. She looked so helpless, vulnerable, small. Her eyelids were heavy and dark circles were underneath.

Carol nudged her gently - "Go to bed, you'll rest better there."

Therese's eyes flew open and Carol could see the look of distress there, "Are you going?"

"No, I'll be right here." Carol's heart melted.

_She needs me._

"OK, but you'll wake me up before you go?"

"Of course. Go on now."

Therese shuffled off to her bedroom, and Carol could hardly keep herself from sliding her arm around those fragile shoulders and helping her there. She stood up slowly, running her fingers through her hair, picking up the tea cup.

_Might as well make myself useful._

Carol washed the dishes and straightened up the apartment, taking her time, humming to herself. She noticed some of Therese's sketches on the coffee table and flipped through them with interest, admiring the girl's obvious talent and also noticing some themes resonating through the sketches: darkness, loneliness, despair, the transformative power of art.

When she got to the last one in the stack, she held it with trembling fingers. It was of her, a caricature, but so obviously her - in black stiletto boots and a short red dress, towering over a woman kneeling on the floor who looked an awful lot like Therese. Carol felt as if her head might spontaneously combust, or flames shoot out of her ears. She fanned herself with the stack of drawings and replaced them carefully on the table.

She walked into the bathroom and splashed some cool water on her face.

She noticed an overflowing laundry basket in the corner, and thought she could take care of that chore for Therese as well. She searched the cupboards for laundry detergent, then scoured her purse for change, walking down the hallway to the communal laundry. There were two empty washers with their lids flipped up and two dryers, one humming softly in use.

She pulled the clothes from the basket, separating whites from darks, marveling at how tiny everything seemed. And tiniest of all were her little panties, her little socks.

She raised her eyebrows as she noticed a large damp spot on the crotch of a pair of yellow cotton briefs. The intimate smell of Therese prickled at her nose. Impulsively, she touched the damp spot, rubbing it between her thumb and forefinger, then remembered she was in a public space, looked around to ensure no one had seen her, and tossed the panties into the wash with the rest of the clothes.

She loaded quarters into the slot and measured out the detergent, making mental note of the time on her phone. When she got back inside the apartment, she looked at her fingers, hesitated a moment, brought them to her nose.

_Carol, you have sunk to a new low._

But it didn't stop her, she inhaled deeply and sighed.

While she waited for the laundry, she settled into the couch with a book she had found on the side table with an interesting looking cover. It was called Tipping the Velvet, and Carol found herself sucked into late 19th century England, where a common laborer girl becomes enamored of a stage actress named Kitty.

She was completely engrossed, loving the sexual tension between the two women, imagining how difficult it must have been when lesbian relationships were unheard of, or at least never spoken of in polite company.

It was difficult enough now, when the judgement of society still weighed heavily on gays and lesbians, and you could still encounter downright hostility cloaked in religious self-righteousness. Carol had heard women whispering behind their hands at social events, giving side-eye to Abby, who was very visibly and vocally out of the closet.

Carol herself had never had an out and open relationship. She had been with Abby off and on, but as far as most others knew they were only close friends. Abby had finally become frustrated with Carol's unwillingness to be open in public, to show her affection or allow herself to receive it when others were watching.

So Carol had gone with what was comfortable, what was safe, what was...expected. She had met Harge, and after a long engagement, had finally allowed herself to become married to him. He was kind enough, successful, handsome in a way that made other women envy her. And though she had never been that interested in sleeping with him, she had viewed it as something she could do to give him pleasure, a rare act that produced her beautiful Rindy. So it was worth it, after all.

But the years had started to wear on her, the unfulfilled longings stacking up like cordwood in her heart. She had flirtations with women, even the rare illicit affair, brief things that were physical in nature only, a flimsy rake scratching at hardened earth, barely touching the deep need inside her.

And then there were the urges in her that were even more primal, the desire for power, for control, for sexual dominance. She had explored those things with Abby before meeting Harge, had reveled in the complex psychological landscapes they visited, had feasted on the rush of endorphin, the escape from the tangible world.

When she became engaged to Harge, she had dutifully thrown away her secret stash of toys, had set it all aside as if it had been a childish whim. She was a grown up now, a respectable woman of society....and then, she became a mother.

Now, at 37, she found herself at a place where she was more confident, self-aware in a way that validated her desires, let her know that she could embrace those darker parts of herself and nurture them, let them grow and flourish. There was no going back to the repression of her past - she was free now, older, and would not deny herself pleasure any longer.

Carol didn't know how much time had passed, so engrossed was she in the book and in her own thoughts and connection to the story. She suddenly had a sense of being watched, observed. She looked up from her book and scanned the room, her eyes landing on a sweet furry face peering at her from underneath a chair. It was a calico, with one eye covered in orange, one in black, and the nose and mouth a creamy white.

She smiled at the animal, "Well, hello there. You must be the timid one." The cat watched her, and Carol picked up her book again, intentionally ignoring it. In a few minutes, she felt a soft "thump" on the couch beside her, and slid her eyes sideways to see the cat cautiously approaching. In a moment, it sniffed her lap, slowly climbing onto her one paw at a time.

She sat very still, and the cat settled in to her lap with a contented sigh, treading at her pants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter sponsored in part by Ibuprofen, Gatorade, and Sarah Waters' Tipping the Velvet. Which is, in fact, much more popular than the parody novel Tipping the Velveeta, a story of two tormented cheese lovers destined to drown in a pot of fondue. Yes, I know, it's cheesy.
> 
> Looking forward to all of your comments!


	13. When the Levee Breaks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Therese is sick and Carol takes care of her, breaking down all of Therese's defenses.

Therese

Through the sticky haze of a dreamless sleep, Therese felt soft, tender hands stroking her hair, brushing it away from her forehead and tucking it behind her ears. Slowly she opened her eyes, blinking at the perfect vision of loveliness hovering over her. She opened and closed her mouth, moving her tongue around, feeling like she had sand from her lips to her throat.

The vision continued to stroke her hair, smiling at her so warmly that it could have melted a thousand glaciers. "Feeling better, sweetheart?"

Therese blinked again. Her other dreams had not been quite this...vivid. And that touch felt so real.

She couldn't help herself, she blurted, "Are you really here?" and Carol threw back her head and laughed, the sound of bells tinkling, of water rushing over rocks, of birds singing - it shattered the haze and she knew it was true, Carol was really here with her.

"Yes, yes I'm here."

Therese felt a pang, a sweet ache deep in her bones, the feeling that she never wanted this woman to leave, and if she had to stay sick forever to make that happen, then so be it.

"You've been sleeping for hours. I thought I should wake you to get some liquids in you, and maybe another dose of ibuprofen. At least it feels like your fever has broken."

Therese felt the cool, gentle hand press against her forehead again, and as the hand slid down to cradle her cheek, she sighed and nuzzled against it involuntarily.

Carol got up from the bed, and Therese felt the withdrawal of her warmth like the sun going behind a cloud on a frosty day. Like a child, she held up her arms towards Carol.

_I am weak, I can't control myself._

Carol smiled at her again, "Don't worry, I'll be right back. I'm just going to warm up some soup for you."

Therese lay back in the bed fitfully, feeling damp and sticky, her head throbbing and her chest sore from coughing. A golden angel floated into the room, bearing a bowl of steaming soup, pills, and a glass of water.

"C'mon, let's prop you up." Carol leaned over her, reaching behind her to shift her pillows up higher on the bed. Therese's nose was almost touching her chest, and she drank in the sight of her fragrant cleavage, breathing her in, taking almost every ounce of her weak self resolve not to push herself forward and rub her face into that softness, that holy temple of pleasure.

Carol leaned back and her face was flushed, a mysterious look on her features that Therese could not interpret, at least not in her groggy state. Carol reached under her armpits, lifting her, helping her sit up in the bed.

_She's so damned strong._

Carol picked up the bowl of chicken soup, stirred it with the spoon, blew on the spoonful of delicious-smelling broth gently, and held it to Therese's lips. Therese obediently opened her mouth for each spoonful, her eyes steady on Carol's face, relishing the ability to study every line and detail at so close quarters. The woman had the most beautiful little lines radiating from the corners of her eyes and mouth. She could tell that the years had softened the woman, had aged her like a fine wine. She could tell that the years would only increase her beauty, would continue to bring out the subtle flavors of her character.

Therese was mesmerized, not even bothering to hide the look of pure adoration that must show plainly on her features. This was a Carol so different from the ice queen at the coffee shop, the entitled society woman in the fancy house. This was a woman who was soft, open, loving, _vulnerable_.

She felt the trust that Carol was sharing with her, to be this way with her, to allow her nurturing spirit to seek out Therese and envelop her in its warmth. This was a Carol without the hard outer shell, all marshmallow fluff and sweetness. Therese was overcome with gratitude, with a secret glowing pride that she had been allowed into this private side of Carol - a side that maybe no one else had seen besides her daughter.

Therese finished up the soup and then drank as Carol held a bottle of Gatorade to her lips.

"There, that should help," Carol said, holding out 2 pills for her to swallow. "You can go back to sleep now if you like."

Therese felt completely exhausted, wrung out like a dishrag left to dry on steaming blacktop. She was worn down from this awful sickness, this fever, but even more so she was ground down, crushed into a fine millet from the pressure of keeping up this facade every day. Pretending to be strong, putting on a brave face, marching ahead - when every trip to the grocery store only reminded her how devastatingly lonely she was, the aisles overwhelming, so many products crammed into the shelves and all those strangers circling her with their carts.

And always being so careful, everywhere, not to let her true feelings show. The fear that her eyes would betray a desire, her mouth disclose her true self. Holding a wave of herself back, the push of the water behind the dam unbearable, leaving her alone in her apartment at night to tremble and cry.

The dam had sprung a leak.

"Stay with me?" Therese blurted, surprising herself, a hot tear burning at the corner of her eye.

Carol nodded, studying her. Therese moved over in the bed, pulled the covers down.

Carol pulled her boots off, slid under the covers, pulled the small woman close to her and kissed her gently on the top of the head. "Sleep now, darling."

Therese's whole body buzzed with having Carol near her, enveloped in her warmth and softness. She had a fleeting thought that surely she'd never be able to sleep while being finally held by the object of so many lurid dreams. But as sleep started to wash over her, she thought groggily, _I must be awfully sick_.

And Therese slept, suspended in a state of ecstasy.

When she awoke again she saw the silhouette of Carol sitting up on the side of the bed, straightening her blouse. She rolled over, reached out and touched Carol's back.

"Hi, sleepy."

"Hi," Therese smiled, feeling a little better, her headache finally gone.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go. Harge will be home with Rindy soon."

"No, it's ok, you've already done so much, how could I ever thank ..."

"Shhh," Carol interrupted, pressing a finger to Therese's lips. "Call me tomorrow when you're up, ok? And you are NOT going to work - call them and tell them you're sick."

Therese nodded obediently, the ghost of Carol's finger still on her lips. Carol leaned in close again, her face inches from Therese.

"Feel better, darling," she murmured, her face obscured in the darkness, and leaned in to brush her lips softly against Therese's cheek.

Therese lay in the dark with the spot on her cheek in flames, unwilling to move, listening to Carol pad down the hallway and quietly close the apartment door behind her. It was a long time before she could go back to sleep.

Therese awoke to the sounds of birds chirping and immediately knew she was on the mend. She started to stretch, then felt her body pinned down, immobile. Her first sleepy thought was, _Oh, did she come back?_

She opened one eye, squinted, and then erupted in a fit of giggles when she saw her two kitties on the bed with her, one on each side of her on top of the comforter, effectively pinning her arms down underneath.

_Kitty bondage - that's gotta be a new thing, right?_

Then she remembered some of the bizarre things she had run across in her internet searches: balloons, clowns, tickling, furries.

_On second thought....nope, I'm sure that already exists somewhere._

She pulled her arms free and reached down to pet each cat on their furry little warm heads. Her sweet girls, so cool and aloof sometimes, but they always seemed to know when she really needed them and offered their warmth, comfort, and the healing power of their purring.

_Hmmm, sounds familiar._

Therese reached for her phone and texted Cheryl, "Sorry, I'm sick. Won't be in today."

Reluctantly, she pulled herself from the bed and slouched into the kitchen to make some coffee. She still had a terrible cough, but she could tell her fever was gone and she wasn't quite so exhausted. Still, she took an ibuprofen with her coffee preemptively, almost sure Carol would ask her about it when she called her.

She looked at the clock - 7:30. Carol was probably on her way to take Rindy to school. Might as well wait a bit. "The girls" were twirling around her feet, waiting for their breakfast and meowing noisily. "You can file your complaint with the complaint department," she yawned, rubbing Trixie on the head.

The coffee started to clear the thick fog of her brain, and she looked around the apartment, her mouth open in astonishment at how tidy it looked. Carol had straightened up, washed dishes.....and most miraculous of all, there was a basket of neatly folded laundry sitting beside the couch. Therese walked over and slipped her hand into the pile of clothes, feeling their softness and the small amount of warmth still retained from the dryer. That feeling of being cared for, loved even, washed over her again like a wave. To her, that one basket of laundry spoke volumes, was a novel in itself of Carol's feelings for her.

_Who knew Carol was even capable of doing laundry? Don't rich people have maids or something, for that sort of stuff?_

She saw her copy of Tipping the Velvet on the corner of the coffee table. She realized Carol must have been reading it - she felt her body flush with embarassment, thinking of all the naughty parts in the novel. Wonder how far she got in the book? Well, her cover was blown now. Only someone who was into women would have that type of book in her apartment.

_Still, she stayed with me, even after reading that._

She turned that over in her mind, remembering how totally weak she had been the night before, how she had practically begged Carol to stay....and then the total peace and comfort that being near her had brought. Her intoxicating smell.

_Wait, what about the kinky character in the book, the rich controlling one?_

She grabbed the book and flipped through the pages, looking for the Dominatrix who kept Nan as her own personal slave.

_Yes, Diana._

She re-read some of the parts featuring Diana, and recalled some of the wild thoughts and tingling sensations she had had when reading this part initially.

_Yep, still hot._

Actually, even hotter now, imagining a Diana who looked just like Carol but with bustiers and bustles.

She squirmed on the couch, disturbing the calico, who jumped down off her lap haughtily. Definitely not my fever coming back.

She finished reading and set the book down, going back into the kitchen for another cup of coffee and a slice of toast.

9:30 - time to call Carol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is so totally indulgent on my part. Who doesn't want this to happen to them when they are sick?  
> Go ahead, you can admit it here.  
> Also, nothing says "I Love You" like a neatly folded basket of laundry.


	14. The Mirror of Desire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol makes a trip back over to Therese's place - just to make sure she gets her medicine.

Therese's hand trembled with excitement as she dialed Carol's number.

Which Carol would answer: the ice queen, the friendly but distant housewife, the teasing seductress, or the warm and tender nurturer from last night? What could she say to sound confident and sexy, not like the whining child who clung to Carol last night?

"Hello?" Carol's voice was always a shock to Therese's system, even just hearing her answer the phone.

"Hi, it's me."

_Great start, moron, of course she knows it's you. What happened to all the witty stuff you planned to say?_

"How are you feeling this morning?" Carol's voice was casual, but there was the slightest touch of warmth underneath.

"Much better, thank you. Must be from all the great care from Nurse Carol last night."

They both laughed.

"Have you taken some ibuprofen this morning?"

"Oh no, not yet," Therese lied. Her mouth half-opened in shock at herself.

_Why the hell had she said that? Lied over something so silly?_

"Therese" Carol drew out the "zzzz" sound at the end of her name, her tone scolding. "I can't believe you! You take your pills right now! Am I going to have to come over there and monitor your every move just to make sure you take care of yourself?"

Therese felt a rush, a wave of pure pleasure wash over her.

_Right, this was why she lied._

She wanted to hear Carol scold her. To hear in no uncertain terms how Carol cared for her, wanted her to be well. And maybe, just a bit, to feel that shrinking feeling, to be childish in her presence and hear the stern tone that meant love and concern.

"Well, am I?" Carol said impatiently, still waiting for her to answer a question that Therese had thought was rhetorical.

"Yes, I think you are." She heard Carol's warm chuckle on the other end of the line; it was melted caramel, a dollop of honey in a tumbler of whiskey.

"I'll be right over. And if you haven't taken that medicine by the time I get there, you are going to be in big trouble, young lady!"

Therese hung up the phone, trembling with an unspoken and mysterious desire. A part of her REALLY wanted to know what "big trouble" looked like. Her mind was like a movie reel on speed, spinning off scenarios: Carol scolding her, Carol forcing her to take her medicine and then standing her in the corner for punishment, Carol flipping her over her lap and spanking her. It was like the dream-world of the past several weeks was colliding with her waking consciousness, and was it ever a spectacular crash!

But she knew deep down she wouldn't press her luck; she didn't want Carol angry with her, and she knew she would be incapable of lying, even about something small, under the gaze of that intense stormy ocean stare.

Therese snapped out of her daze, suddenly looking down at her wrinkled bedclothes.

_Crap! She's coming over - and I am a mess!_

Therese dashed to the shower, stripping off her clothes and stumbling as she went. Once in the shower, the hot water brought back the exhaustion she had been feeling. She pushed through, forcing her limbs to work quickly, washing her hair, her breasts, paying special care to the juncture of her thighs.

She stepped out of the shower and dried herself off quickly, rubbing a towel softly through her chocolate-colored hair. She ran a comb through her hair quickly, roughly jerking out the tangles.

She was frantically brushing her teeth when she heard a knock at the door.

_Damn it! She's here already!_

Therese looked around for something to put on, but her mind was a mad scramble. The knock came at the door again, a little impatiently.

"Just a minute!" she yelled.

Dilemma - keep Carol waiting or greet her half-naked?

_Keeping Carol waiting - not an option._

She wrapped the bath sheet around her middle and padded to the door, opening it just a crack to poke her face through. "Sorry, I was just getting out of the shower."

Carol's eyes widened in surprise, her eyebrows lifted.

"I'm glad you're feeling up to a shower."

"Yes," Therese said, still standing behind the door. There was an awkward pause.

"Well, are you going to leave me standing in the hallway all day?" Carol leaned in close, so close that Therese could smell the mint on her breath. "People would talk, you know."

Flustered and completely exasperated, Therese pulled open the door to let Carol in, scooting around behind it to keep herself hidden.

_Nice, genius, now you have to close the door. And then what?_

Therese tugged the towel more tightly around her, took a deep breath and closed the door, turning back towards Carol to see the woman watching her, the eyes of a hawk, an appraiser of fine things, a jeweler studying the facets of a diamond.

She felt the flush creeping over her chest and neck, the heat of it moving all the way up to her face, making her feel the tips of her ears would burst into flame.

She cleared her throat, "Well, I'll just go get dressed."

"Don't rush on my account," Carol said in a low, husky tone, one corner of her mouth turned up.

Therese felt her bones melting, Chernobyl, a star imploding.

She stumbled back to her bedroom on wobbly legs, leaning against the wall to catch her breath. She came out in a few minutes in yoga pants and a t-shirt, finding Carol settled onto the couch stroking her spooky little calico.

"Hey, you met Sylvia! She never comes out to see strangers."

"After last night, we weren't strangers anymore," Carol looked at her, her eyes smoky.

Therese felt the complete idiocy of herself, the inadequacy, the inability to make coherent sentences in front of this goddess of a woman.

"No, I guess not," she managed.

"Your hair is wet. I'd say you will catch cold, but I think that's happened already."

Therese nodded, crossing one foot over the top of the other, chewing at a nail.

"Bring me the hair dryer and a brush," Carol said softly.

Therese headed to the bathroom, her brain so foggy it was like thinking through pea soup.

_Right, a brush and a hair dryer. Where are they? What do those things even look like?_

She returned to the living room with the items, smiling like a child who had found all the items in a scavenger hunt.

Carol took the hairdryer from her and plugged it into the wall near an armchair. Carol sat in the chair, then motioned to the floor between her feet.

Therese looked at the floor, then up at Carol, then back at the floor again. Cautiously she padded over and sat on the floor stiffly, her back to Carol's legs but not touching them.

Carol turned on the dryer and started to wave it around her hair, lifting the damp hairs off her neck. When Therese felt Carol's fingers touch her hair, start to lift and comb through it as she dried it, she shivered.

Carol leaned down, her breath hot against Therese's ear "Are you cold? Do you need a blanket?"

"No, I'm fine thank you."

_ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod_

"Well relax, then," she said, nudging Therese's hip playfully with her toe, then putting a hand on her shoulder to pull her back gently against her legs.

_Easy for you to say._

Therese leaned back tentatively, luxuriating in the feel of those slender fingers running through her hair, the warm air on her neck, the feel of Carol's knees on either side of her, pressing in at the flesh just below her armpits.

_If I died right now, I would die happy._

Therese leaned back further, closing her eyes, tilting her head back, her whole body alive. She was aware of every part of her all at once, her bare toes digging into the carpet, her hands clasping the soft cotton of her yoga pants, her hardened nipples lifting their heads to rut against her t-shirt. But most of all she felt every place that Carol's body touched hers, a burgeoning heat spreading out from each contact point.

Carol's fingernails scritched playfully at her scalp, drying the roots. Therese found it difficult to control her breathing.

Carol turned off the hairdryer and Therese was unable to suppress a sigh of regret. Carol placed her hand on Therese's shoulder again, lightly, letting her know she should stay there.

Carol started to brush Therese's hair gently, in long, slow strokes. She lifted each section of hair away from her ears, back from her forehead, placing the brush at the nape of her neck and stroking her hair up from underneath.

Therese bit hard into her lip so that she wouldn't moan.

_Do not make a fool of yourself, Belivet. Do not!_

Therese could hear the "click" as Carol placed the brush on a side table, felt her place her hands on the crown of her head using her fingers to stroke gently through her hair, releasing the smallest tangle. The pull and tug of her hair was pure heaven. 

Therese could swear she heard Carol's own soft panting, but it was so hard to hear over the pounding of her own heart, the blood rush to her ears.

Therese moved her head against Carol's hand, like a cat seeking a stroke. Carol's hand reached down to stroke her cheek with a single finger, a whisper of a touch.

Carol softly squeezed the back of her neck then, her voice thick, "There, you're all dry now."

_No, I'm absolutely drenched._

Therese lurched upward, reaching for the coffee table to steady herself. She could barely breathe, much less walk. She settled for flinging herself in the general direction of the couch, sprawling to look at Carol still in the chair.

Carol's cheeks had the most beautiful rosy bloom, her eyes were fire, her lips, even without lipstick, were a deep and glorious pink. She could see her chest rising and falling rapidly, her desire telegraphed from every inch of her body.

"Carol," Therese whispered. She wanted to lunge at her, to fling herself on top of her and capture those beautiful lips with her own, to explore their depths with her tongue.

She saw her own searing heat reflected in Carol's eyes, a mirror of desire.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what do you think, ladies? Are these two finally going to get their shiznit together and actually kiss? Or maybe even more? What do you think should happen next?  
> Love your comments, keep 'em coming!


	15. We Need to Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crucial moment has arrived. Will they or won't they?

"Carol," Therese whispered. She wanted to lunge at her, to fling herself on top of her and capture those beautiful lips with her own, to explore their depths with her tongue.

  
"I know, darling," Carol said, breathing heavily, her eyelids heavy with desire. "But we need to  talk."

  
Therese could not believe her ears; she ground her teeth in frustration.

  
"Talk??" she said, reproachfully.

  
Carol nodded. "I...I want to be sure. No, I want you to be sure. That you know what you're getting into."

  
_Fuck that._

  
Therese leapt from the couch, taking two quick strides over to Carol's chair. She climbed on top of her in the chair, straddling her lap.

  
"No, I don't know. I never did," Therese breathed, looking into Carol's startled eyes as she leaned in and kissed her hungrily, no foreplay to the meeting of their lips - it was an immediate crush of mouths, of tongues. Carol moaned softly into her mouth, they breathed the same breath. The whole world was their mouths together, and the world was hot and wet, red, an empty chasm of lust. Their teeth scraped, their noses sliding over each other.

  
Therese explored Carol's mouth with her tongue, tasting the honey sweetness of her.

  
Therese broke the hot suction of the kiss and leaned her forhead against Carol's, panting, looking into her eyes from so close that Carol was blurry.

  
"Still want to talk?"

  
Carol answered her by grabbing the back of her neck and pressing their mouths together again, running her fingers through Therese's hair, caressing her cheek.

  
Therese kissed the side of her mouth, licking at it, kissing along that exquisite jawline, tracing a line with her thumb to her ear and following her thumb with her mouth. She sucked at Carol's earlobe, then started to nibble and lick at her neck, at the hollow of her throat.

  
_My god, her skin tastes like candy, gives me a rush like the most wonderful drug ever invented._

  
Her hands slid down to Carol's breasts, so agonizingly soft under her sweater, running her fingertips over her nipples, squeezing them gently to feel the heft of them, so much bigger than her own.

  
She buried her face in Carol's neck, rubbing her nose and cheeks against it, damp from Carol's sweat and her own saliva. Her hands fondled Carol's breasts more urgently, and she could feel Carol sliding her hands up the back of Therese's shirt, leaving a trail of goosebumps.

  
Carol let out a guttural moan, a growl. Suddenly Therese felt herself pushed backwards, Carol's hands around her waist, guiding her back and sliding her down to the floor. Carol growled again and pushed the coffee table aside roughly, climbing on top of Therese, pinning her, her eyes flashing.

  
Therese looked up at her in awe, it was like looking directly at the sun, it was almost too much.

  
Carol crushed her mouth to hers again, thrusting her tongue in suggestively, teasing her. Therese could feel the movement of that tongue all the way down in her pussy, as Carol sucked at the tip of her tongue and swirled her tongue around it.

  
She knelt up, grabbing the hem of Therese's shirt and tugging at it. Therese leaned up and let Carol take her shirt off, raising her arms above her head. Carol leaned in close to her, her chin in the hollow between Therese's neck and shoulder. She reached around behind her and unclasped her bra, slid the straps down off her shoulders like taking the ribbon off a present.

  
Carol put her hand on the center of her chest and pushed her gently back to the floor again, holding her there while she gazed at her breasts. Therese's nipples were rock hard, aching to feel her touch. She wiggled to try and get that hand to move to one breast or the other but Carol just held her there, pinned, those hungry grey eyes drinking her in.

  
Carol bent her head to take a nipple into her mouth, pleasure so intense to Therese that she temporarily went blind, the room was only flashes of light. She felt Carol's teeth grazing her nipple, her tongue playing around it, and then taking it in to suck hard at it. Therese arched her back, her breasts an offering.

  
She felt Carol shift her hips, press a muscular thigh between her legs. Carol kissed her all over, biting at her shoulders, suckling her neck, feasting on her breasts. They rocked together, locked in a writhing heap, Therese's eyes rolling back in her head at the delicious friction of Carol's thigh.

Carol raised up and Therese felt fingers at her waist, sliding under her waistband, pulling off her pants and her underwear all together, wrestling them off her ankles impatiently.

  
Carol dove back on top of her, her thigh finding its home again, this time mashed against her naked flesh. Therese had a fleeting thought that Carol's pants were going to be soaked.

  
_Fuck it. Fuck me._

  
Carol dragged the panting girl's hands up over her head, pinning both wrists with one hand, hovering over her, exploring her body with the other hand. She reached her hand between Therese's legs, groaning when she felt the hot wetness there; Therese was delirious with pleasure.

  
_Carol's fingers, finally, Carol's fingers._

  
Carol locked eyes with her, bringing the fingers back up to her nose, inhaling Therese's scent deeply, then lasciviously sliding those fingers into her mouth and licking them clean. Therese bucked beneath her, ground herself against Carol, struggled against the hand pinning her wrists just enough to feel the sensation of Carol's strength.

  
Carol released her wrists and knelt up between her legs, scratching her fingernails gently down the insides of Therese's thighs. The sexy blonde stripped off her sweater, revealing a black lace bra underneath, her breasts straining at the cups, looking like they could spring free at any moment.

  
She unclasped the front and revealed her breasts, sliding the straps off her shoulders.

  
Therese was awestruck, panting, her mouth watering. She could not wait to taste them, to feel those beautiful naked breasts brush against her own.

  
Carol leaned toward her, her breasts dangling above Therese - Therese reached up to touch, but Carol grabbed her hand, placing it down by her side. She shook her head no, and smiled a wicked, wicked smile.

  
Therese felt her panting breath catch in her chest, her body shifting up into an even higher gear, something she didn't know was even possible.

  
Carol leaned in close, her breath on Therese's neck, brushing her breasts softly over her chest, her belly, then cupping her breasts and rubbing her nipples against Therese's. She dragged herself upward and let those soft mounds caress Therese's cheeks, and the girl frantically lunged to kiss at her cleavage, to rub her face in that never-ending softness.

  
Carol slid back down her body again, the look in her eyes leaving no doubt about her final destination. She slid her hands under Therese's thighs, crouching between her legs, scratching her nails up the back of her thighs, lowering her eyes to feast on Therese, to drink her in.

  
Therese opened herself completely, seeing the reflection of her own erotic beauty in Carol's eyes, opening herself like a flower for worship.

  
Carol knelt at her temple, made a holy offering.

  
She dipped her head, breathing her in, moaning at the smell of her. Skimming her lips along the insides of her thighs all the way down to her knees, causing Therese to pant in frustration, arching her back, lifting her hips.

  
"Tell me you want it." Carol breathed.

  
"Oh yes, please I want it."

  
"What is it you want - tell me exactly," Carol licked her lips seductively, her eyes boring into the girl completely held captive in her grip.

  
"I want your mouth on me, Carol please, I want your mouth."

  
"Where do you want my mouth?"

  
Therese felt the flush creep over her cheeks, "On my pussy, put your mouth on my pussy please Carol, I need it so bad. I'm dying."

  
Carol finally looked satisfied with her answer, or at the very least like she could not hold herself back any longer. She lowered her head, flicking out her long, slender, sensuous tongue, and dragging it along the dewy folds of her outer labia.

Therese shuddered in Carol's grip, her fingers clenching and unclenching at her sides.

  
_Oh I'm gonna explode, my whole body is just going to burst wide open, burst into flames._

  
She held her mouth open over the girls open and willing sex, her hot breath stirring the drenched curls.

  
She pressed her face into the wetness; Therese could feel her flatten her tongue, pressing it against her hole and dragging slowly, firmly, up towards her clit, ending the cycle with a flick and a flourish. She repeated, lapping at Therese's cunt, licking up her juices, only creating more wetness with the ministrations of her tongue.

  
The she fastened her mouth around that hardened nubbin of pleasure, suckling it into her mouth, nibbling at it gently with her teeth, swirling her tongue around it. She settled in, teasing, then giving firm, consistent strokes, then teasing again, each cycle bringing Therese higher and higher, closer and closer.

  
She felt Carol withdraw one of her hands from her thigh, felt her shift, looked down at that gorgeous face between her legs. She could see Carol, on her stomach, her one arm disappearing underneath her. She could tell by the way that Carol had started to move her ass that she was touching herself, stroking her own wet sex while she sucked at Therese.

  
Therese threw her head back, groaning, mewling, damn it was so sexy.

  
_She is touching herself while she licks me. It turns her on that much...*I* turn her on that much._

  
Therese watched Carol's face through half-open eyes, her back arching uncontrollably, lifting herself up and up to Carol's mouth. She was fast approaching her peak, she was going to cum in Carol's mouth.

  
_Cum in Carol's mouth, omigod omigod omigod._

  
Just as she was so close, sooooo agonizingly close, she felt Carol reduce the pressure of her tongue, holding her there, suspended. That tongue was so feathery light, stroking her just at the peak of pleasure, stroking, stroking, holding.

  
Therese legs trembled, her toes curled, hot flashes of light seared her closed eyes. She reached over her head blindly, grabbing frantically at the leg of the coffee table and holding on for dear life.

She arched her back, pressed her hips up and up and up at Carol's hot, stroking mouth.

  
OHHHHHH YESSSSS!!!

  
Her hips bucked once, twice, she shook like an earthquake, a torrent of cum pouring from her as she exploded into Carol's mouth, soaking her face, feeling her body lifting, leaving the earth, shooting like an asteroid into the sky.

  
She opened her eyes, still shaking with the mini-quakes of pleasure, looked down to see Carol with her mouth still fastened on her cunt.

Her beautiful eyes were closed, her face contorted - Therese could see her ass moving up and down quickly as she rubbed herself. She moaned into Therese's pussy and shuddered as she came, the vibrations from the moan and the pure animal sexiness of it sending Therese into another full-blown orgasm.

  
She was flung into space with Carol, their bodies connected, the blood and delicious drug of orgasm shooting through both of their veins, hearts and cunts pounding.

  
As she came down from her high, Carol laid her sticky cheek against the inside of Therese's thigh, quivering and panting, her breath against Therese's inflamed and sensitive parts.

  
When both of their trembling had subsided, Carol crawled up next to her, wiping her sodden face with Therese's discarded shirt.

  
Therese cupped her face, kissed her softly, tasting and smelling herself on Carol's lips.

  
She had never tasted so good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So?? Was it worth the wait?? Please do comment after you've finished....doing whatever it is you're doing right now.


	16. The Discussion Continues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The women find a more comfortable place to continue their....conversation.   
> Warning.....dangerous chapter ahead! LOL

Carol  
Lying beside her was bliss, even on the hard floor. Everything about her set Carol's senses aflame - her flawless body, the youth and innocence of her spirt, the amazing way she smelled....and tasted. 

  
She was on her side, tracing her fingers over every part of Therese, but especially over that gorgeous face. She was lost in the awe and wonder of it all.

  
_How can I swing so quickly from the despair of 24 hours ago to this absolute paradise?_

  
Therese was lying on her back, her eyes closed, absolutely peaceful - not one muscle stirred, except her chest rising and falling with her breathing.

  
_I guess I've worn the poor girl completely out_ , Carol smirked to herself.

  
She propped up on an elbow and just gazed at her, taking her all in. 

  
_And to think that I had resisted this, had held myself back from it. Even if this is all there will ever be, this is something. I have to memorize every detail._

  
She felt a twinge of sadness in her heart at this thought. Although Therese knew her, had willingly given herself to her, there were parts of her that Therese didn't fully know about. Might not understand.

  
She said a silent prayer to whomever or whatever might be out there for understanding, for Therese to love her enough to give her a chance, to give her way of doing things a chance.

  
The angel at her side stirred, those beautiful hazel eyes fluttering open slowly. She gazed up at Carol, and the pure adoration of that look struck right to her heart. The gravity of what she had done hit her - this girl was so far gone, so completely smitten. 

  
_Oh shit._

  
There was no going back from this moment, from what they had done. Carol would just have to figure it out for both of them.

  
"Carol?" she whispered, looking at her inquisitively.

  
"Yes, darling."

  
"My ass hurts," she said softly, a smile breaking out onto her face, and she stretched on the hard floor rolling and laughing.

  
Carol giggled with her.

  
"Well come on then, let's find somewhere softer to lie."

  
Carol stood and then reached down for Therese, pulling her up by the hand. The two walked down the hallway, Therese completely naked and Carol wearing just her pants with a large wet spot on the right thigh.

  
Therese climbed into bed and Carol shucked off her pants, climbing in beside her. 

  
"I want to touch you, can I?" Therese breathed, sliding her fingers along the waistband of Carol's panties.

  
Carol's stomach lurched, and she felt another immediate gush of wetness release into her panties. 

  
"Not now, later," she said, immediately seeing the look of absolute dejection on Therese's face. "I promise."

  
Carol gathered her up into her arms, holding her, pressing Therese's face into her bare breasts. She stroked her fingers up and down her back, then scratched her back gently with her nails. Therese purred as Carol traced lazy circles in the center of her back.

  
Carol planted little kisses all over the top of her head, along her hairline, down her cheeks, adoring her, smothering her with affection.  
She felt so protective in that moment, a fierce, primal urge - if a grizzly had barged through the bedroom door at that moment, she would stand between Therese and the bear, showing her teeth, growling right back at the beast until it backed down.

  
_Nobody is going to fuck with my girl._

  
She crushed her even more tightly to her chest, eliciting a little squeal.  
Carol could feel the strength coursing through her arms, the power she possessed. She draped her leg over the girl's hip, pulling the lower part of her body closer too. 

  
Therese moaned when the damp gusset of Carol's panties brushed against her thigh, and she shifted, rolling, wanting to feel more of the center of Carol.

  
Carol chuckled low in her throat. "How sensitive you are, always ready, huh?"

  
Therese nodded against her chest, a muffled "mmmhmmm" coming from Carol's cleavage.

  
"Have you been with many...partners?" Carol asked, looking down at the top of her head.

  
"A few, had a few girlfriends for a while, only one that was serious. In college - I was so taken with our Resident Assistant - she was a senior. She seemed so much older and more glamourous at the time." Therese murmured softly against her chest, sounding still half -asleep.

  
"And what happened with her?"

  
"Hmm...it was good for a while, but then she finished school and moved to an apartment in town. Her new life didn't have as much room in it for me, and she thought I..." her voice faded to a mumble in Carol's bosom.

  
"She thought you what?"

  
"Was too clingy...needy. She said she needed space."

  
"Oh, I see," Carol said.

  
Therese pulled back from her a little, looked up at her.

  
"What about you?"

  
"Me?"

  
"Yeah, I'm guessing....well, seems like you have been with a woman before."

  
Carol threw back her head and laughed. 

  
"Well yes, a time or two." She winked.

  
"I wish you had given me the secret handshake or something - I was trying to figure that out."

  
"So outrageously flirting with you wasn't enough of a clue?" Carol cocked an eyebrow at her.

  
"I'm slow to pick up on those things. Terrified, really, of misunderstanding something, making the wrong move."

  
"Next time I'll send you a note. Maybe on a stuffed cat." She looked mischievously at Therese.

  
Therese looked at her intently, "It was awful being away from you, knowing you were out there and I couldn't see you. It's ridiculous, but it's true," She looked down quickly, her cheeks flaming.

  
Carol slipped her fingers under Therese's chin, tilted her face up to look at her again, "It's not ridiculous. I felt exactly the same way. These last few days have been torture."

  
Carol kept her fingers under her chin and leaned in to kiss her softly on the lips, probing with her tongue. Their kiss was more tender now, more exploring - their first love-making having taken the edge off somewhat. 

  
Carol hooked her thumbs under her waistband and stripped off her panties underneath the covers, rolling on top of Therese. The feel of their naked bodies pressed along the entire length of each other was exquisite. Carol pressed her wetness against Therese's thigh playfully, and Therese moaned in frustration.

  
"If you don't let me touch you, I'm going to die." She panted.

  
Carol nodded, her voice thick with desire, "Go ahead."

  
Therese slipped her hand between their two bodies and found the center of Carol, so much wet heat. Carol felt an explosion just from her touch, from those small, curious fingers exploring her, rubbing up and down every slick inch of her. 

Therese caught Carol's large, meaty clit between two fingers and tugged at it, the flesh so slippery that her fingers would slip off and she would grasp at it again. 

  
Carol moved against her, hunching her hips, falling in to Therese to kiss and bite at her neck. 

  
"Mmmm yes, your fingers are driving me crazy."

  
"My tongue would drive you even more crazy," Therese breathed, and Carol full-body shuddered. 

  
"There's only one way to find out," she said, shoving the covers off them both.  She kneeled up over Therese, her legs on either side of her chest, looking down at her. She felt a heady rush, having held herself back from this moment - she had thought about those lips suckling her clit so many times. And now she was going to have them, to possess that mouth with the raw core of herself.

  
"Slide down on the bed," she husked, and Therese did, slipping her arms through Carol's legs like putting on a shirt. Carol could feel those hands run up the back of her thighs, roving along the curve of her ass. 

  
Carol hovered over her, showing herself to Therese, drawing the moment out for as long as she could stand it. She could see Therese below her, her eyes like saucers, licking her lips, straining her face up towards her wetness.

  
Carol leaned forward, grasped the headboard, and slowly, tantalizingly, lowered herself to Therese's face. When her tongue first made contact, bolts of electricity shot up her spine. A current ran from Therese's body, through her tongue, onto Carol's clit, and through her entire body. She was burning with it now, this sweet girl below her, lapping at her like a kitten. 

  
Carol kept her pussy just within reach of Therese's tongue, making her work for it, moving her hips, not close enough to let her suck the whole thing into her mouth.

  
Finally she had teased herself enough and she could not take it anymore, she lowered her whole self onto Therese's waiting mouth, groaning as she felt her hungrily suck her in, lap at her, slide her tongue lower to insinuate itself into her entrance.

  
She could feel Therese's fingers cupping her ass cheeks, digging in to them, squeezing. She rocked and rode Therese's face, looking down to see those large eyes looking back up at her, just like so many of her fantasies. The mere sight of it, of this fantasy fulfillment, was enough to send her over the edge. She came then, grinding her clit against Therese's tongue, her body jerking, electric stars sparkling and exploding in the darkness behind her eyelids. She could feel the gush of fluids out of her, drenching Therese's face. She relished it, rubbing her folds against the slickness of Therese's face.

  
She pulled herself away again,  just a few inches, letting her sensitive parts recover. She looked down at Therese, couldn't help but smirk, "You look like you've been eating glazed donuts."

  
Therese didn't quite know what to say, her cheeks turning pink, panting, "Then that was the tastiest donut I've ever had."

  
"Good, I hope you want more."

  
She nodded.

  
Carol swung her leg over the top of Therese, registering the disappointment on her face with satisfaction. She then turned, faced the other way, and climbed on top of Therese again, this time running her hands down Therese's stomach as she showed herself to Therese from this angle. 

  
She leaned forward, dipping her finger into Therese, feeling how hot and wet she was, feeling the involuntary jerk of the girl's hips at her touch. 

  
Carol lowered herself to Therese's mouth again, hissing, "Now be gentle."

  
Therese complied, placing the lightest little kisses and licks along her labia, avoiding the sensitive tip of her clit. 

  
Carol leaned into the tongue, letting her know the pressure she wanted. She tapped her fingers gently on Therese's cunt, hearing the wet, satisfying smack it made. She cupped her hand over it, applying pressure to all that moist heat and desire, watching as Therese moved her hips against her hand. 

  
She had Therese's arms pinned by her sides with her knees now, her hands were clutching at the bedsheets. Carol felt a rush of control and intense desire sweeping through her, seeing the girl pinned beneath her, unable to escape the pussy being pressed into her face, her cunt open, helpless, displayed before Carol. Carol growled as the beast within her rose, insatiable, claiming its territory.

  
She pressed her pussy harder into Therese's face, smacked the tender pussy again, watched her hips jerk. She could feel Therese moaning and sighing into the center of her, moving her whole face against her. 

  
Carol reached down and pulled the girl's outer labia apart, exposing her swollen button of pleasure, flushed pink and engorged with desire. She leaned down, blew on it, dabbed her tongue at the moisture. Therese tried to lift her hips up to Carol's tongue, but she pinned her hips with her forearms, still holding her labia apart. 

  
Carol was in total control now, she would determine the pace for them both, she was the director of the orchestra, and the song would not be finished until she gave the last sweep of the baton. 

  
She could feel the wetness slicking her own thighs, mixing with the girl's saliva. The sensitivity of her clit had receded and was now back to its hungry ache, the sweet pressure of the girl's mouth on her toe-curlingly good. 

  
She leaned down again and inhaled Therese's delicious scent, like a hungry man standing outside of a bakery, breathing in the bread. She feasted her eyes on every luscious fold, memorizing this sweet place of delights, inspecting her, sliding a curious finger into her vagina.  
The girl was tight, her inner walls clenching at Carol's single finger. She groaned at the intimacy of this intrusion, pushing herself inside of Therese, the two of them now completely one. She had never felt anything as erotic and sensuous as the inside of this velvet glove, the moist wet heart of the girl she loved.

  
_Love?_ she gasped at her own internal monologue. _On top of a girl's face with a finger in her vagina is a hell of a place to have an epiphany, but yes, she loved her. There was nothing that could be better than this, no one._

  
Carol leaned down and took Therese's clit into her mouth, pressing herself more firmly to Therese's face. They licked and suckled at each other, starting to match their pace, so much in unison that Carol almost felt she was licking her own clit. She controlled the pace of Therese's tongue with her own, teasing, then growing in intensity, then setting up a dogged rhythm that would drive them both to explode.

  
Carol, being older, had  more control of when she would come....and she also had the advantage of one more orgasm out of the way. She flicked her tongue across that sensitive spot over and over, hooking her finger gently up into Therese, stroking the pad of her finger across her sweet inner spot. She focused totally on Therese, taking her on an exquisite ride, moving her face to keep up with those hips that bucked more and more frantically.

  
When the girl came in her mouth, she switched her focus to her own pleasure again, grinding herself against the moaning mouth of the girl, getting friction on her lips, her tongue, her soaked chin. Carol used her face as a grinding spot, rubbing off on her, digging her fingers into Therese's inner thighs for purchase as she rubbed to her ultimate pleasure. 

  
She collapsed on top of the small girl, then rolled to her side, her face by Therese's knee. She nuzzled against her knee, kissed the side of it gently, wringing another spasm from the girl. 

They lay that way, spent, both of them unable to move, and they both fell asleep with their hearts pounding, trying to catch up with the strenuous activity their passion had produced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To my muse - you are forever inspirational.
> 
> To all of you lovely readers - More comments, please?


	17. Do Something for Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol asks Therese for....a favor? Nope, that's not quite the right word.

Carol opened her eyes to the sound of her phone ringing in the other room.

  
_Bloody hell._

  
She untangled herself from Therese, still out cold, and staggered to the living room to check the phone. She could see the call was from Rindy's school, but she had missed it. It was time stamped 1:37. She checked her voicemail.

  
"Mrs. Aird, just wanted to let you know we are having an issue with the plumbing at school and need the parents to come pick up their children as soon as they can. We are expecting to have it fixed by the time school is in session tomorrow. Thank you!"

  
Carol sighed deeply. She was so relaxed, her body felt limp. And she was starving. It was going to take everything she had to get her butt in gear to pick up Rindy.

  
She padded back to the bedroom. "Therese, darling?" She said, stroking her hair gently.

  
Her eyelids fluttered open, and a breathtaking smile spread across her face reflexively.

  
"Hey."

  
"Sorry, sweetheart, I have to go get Rindy. Sounds like they can't flush the toilets at the school," she laughed.

  
Therese nodded, stretched and yawned lazily.

  
"God I am so envious of you that you don't have to leave the bed!"

  
Therese grinned. "It would be much better if you could stay in it with me."

  
"I couldn't agree more."

  
Carol quickly put her clothes on, looking ruefully at the stain on the thigh of her pants. She went into the bathroom, blotted the stain with copious amounts of water, then washed her hands and face. She looked in the mirror.

  
_Yep, I look like a woman who's just been having bone-meltingly hot sex all day._

  
She grinned in spite of herself.

  
"I'll call you later, darling," she said, giving Therese one last long, lingering kiss before heading out the door.

\------------------------------------------------

Therese

  
Therese was in a state of euphoria.

  
She rolled in the sheets that smelled like herself and Carol, the scent of the gorgeous blonde in her nostrils with every breath.

  
_Did that just really happen? Really??_

  
She licked at her lips, still tasting Carol there. Her face was sticky, but she couldn't bring herself to wash it. This was evidence that it wasn't all a dream.

  
She lay in bed re-living every moment, touching herself again, having to be very gentle with herself. She reached orgasm again quickly, easily. She couldn't imagine needing fantasies again for masturbation, ever. The vision of Carol down between her legs, Carol hovering over her, Carol's beautiful sex all glistening and open for her - that was all the fantasy she would ever need, and it had been a reality. How is it possible that she was even more beautiful naked than her mind could have ever conjured?

  
Finally she stretched and reluctantly got out of bed, her ravenous post-sex hunger driving her to the kitchen, where there was leftover soup that Carol had brought.

  
She ate the soup and 4 slices of bread, eating like an animal, shoveling the food into her mouth. When her hunger was finally satisfied, she leaned back, sighing, tapping her fingers on the table.

  
When would she hear from Carol again?  
The woman was suddenly like food and water to her, like air itself. It seemed her life would now become living from one sighting of her to the next.

  
Her phone buzzed. She looked down at the text. It was from her.

  
"Miss you already. Rindy is home and has quite a tale to tell about the toilets overflowing.  
Come over tomorrow night?"

  
"Of course." She texted back. "There is nowhere else I'd rather be."

  
" <3 <3 <3" Carol texted, and Therese replied, returning the hearts and a few x's and o's for good measure.

  
The rest of the evening dragged for Therese. She lay on the couch, flipping through the channels restlessly. She was relieved when it was time for bed.

  
The next morning, as she was getting dressed for work, she received another text from Carol.

  
"Good morning, beautiful girl!"

  
"Good morning, sexy."

  
"Will you do something for me?"

  
"Yes." She immediately replied, without hesitation.

  
"I don't want you to touch yourself today. Save it for me."

  
Therese thought the phone was going to melt in her hand. Not touch herself? She hadn't even been thinking of it, she had been getting ready for work. Maybe she had thought of it earlier, in the shower, when she was regretfully rinsing the last remnants of Carol from her love-sore body. But now she had been in work mode, thinking about how she was going to catch up from being sick.

  
Her work-mode brain shorted a circuit.

  
"Ok." She texted back, then added "I can't wait to see you tonight."

  
Now touching herself was all she could think of. It was like the experiment when you told people not to think about a large pink elephant - and then that was all they could think of. You can't control your brain, and being denied something is a sure way to create a longing for it. You can't have those cookies, you can't have a second helping, you can't go and play outside. And then, there it was - it was the only thing you wanted to do.

  
She tried as best she could to ignore the dampness seeping into her panties and finished getting dressed, started on her way to work. When she made her way past Carol's house, she looked at it longingly, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. Just seeing her mini-Cooper pulled up in front of the garage set her heart leaping. She now noticed all mini-Coopers in town, seemed to see them everywhere.

  
She trotted in to work with one minute to spare, making sure that she looked appropriately weakened in front of Cheryl, so the woman wouldn't think she had just been playing hooky.

  
_Oh, but if only she knew what had made me so weak. I'm surprised I can still walk._

  
She smiled wanly at the woman and made her way to her desk, booting up her computer, waiting for her email to load.

  
Her phone buzzed again. "Would it distract you if I texted you today?"

  
"No." She lied. It would totally distract her, and she would love every minute of it.

  
"Good. I hope you're behaving yourself so far."

  
"Of course." She texted, and squirmed in her seat, feeling the ache between her legs settle into an exquisite throb.

  
She put her phone to the side and dove into her email, chipping away at the requests, glancing at her phone every few minutes.

  
This was going to be a long day.  
______  
Carol had texted her about once an hour, telling her how lovely she was, how she was aching to touch her, how she could still smell her underneath her fingernails.

  
By the end of the day, Therese was nearly mad with desire. Every time she went to the bathroom, she had to grit her teeth and think about how much wiping was really necessary, what was perfunctory and what Carol might consider "excessive."

  
When the clock hit 5:00, she practically ran out of the office to her car. She reminded herself to drive safely - there was some saying about not getting into an accident without clean underwear, and at this moment her panties were absolutely scandalous.

  
She wheeled up to the big house and trotted to the door, knocking and ringing the bell at the same time. Carol came to the front door, chuckling, "Well, someone seems anxious."

  
She pulled Therese inside, closing the door and pulling her in for a long, languorous kiss.

  
Therese was panting already, revved up to high gear. The color was high in Carol's cheeks, but she led Therese into the living room and gestured for her to sit on the couch.

  
Carol sat back in a chair across from her, smirking. "Did you like the little game we played today?"

  
"Yes. Well, it was torture. But yes."

  
"What did you like about it?"

  
"I liked knowing you were thinking of me. That you desired me."

  
"Anything else?"

  
"Yes," she said, blushing. "How do I put it? I liked that....that I was doing it for you. What you wanted me to."

  
Carol nodded, giving her a warm and encouraging smile. She leaned forward in her seat, whispered softly, "And were you a good girl for me, Therese?"

  
Therese felt a full-body flush, a heat that burned from her toes to the tips of her ears. For a moment she lost the ability to breath.  
She nodded vigorously.

  
"No," Carol said gently, "I want you to tell me. I want you to use your words."

  
"Yes, I ...I did what you asked me to."

  
"Tell me you were a good girl for me, that you didn't touch yourself."

  
"I was a good girl for you, Carol. I didn't touch myself." Therese's voice was very quiet, her head was bowed, but her knee bounced wildly, showing her agitation.

  
"Mmmm very sweet," Carol purred. "These are the types of games I like to play, Therese. They excite me. You made me very happy," she praised.

  
Therese raised her eyes to her timidly, a little smile playing around her lips.

  
"I enjoy making you happy," she said quietly, casting her eyes down again. "I think it's all I want to do."

  
"I can teach you so many things, if you're willing to come out and play," Carol said, her eyes questioning. "We can explore, together."

  
Therese bit her lip and nodded, but Carol could tell there was a hesitation there.

  
"What is it, sweetheart?" Carol said, showing her concern.

  
"There are things I want, but I'm also frightened."

  
Carol got up from her chair, moved over to sit beside her on the couch, brushed her bangs from her forehead tenderly.

  
"It's ok to be frightened," she said, "but you will learn to trust me. I will never do anything that you don't want. There will always be a way for you to say no."

  
"I do trust you," said Therese. "It's just.....I don't know that I trust myself. Some things have happened to me in my past. Bad things. I'm afraid I might freak out on you or something."

  
Carol put her hand on Therese's knee reassuringly. "Tell me about them - you can help me avoid the things that might set you off."

  
Therese took a deep, halting breath. "I'll try."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well hello there again, and thank you for reading. I had a rough day at work and one of the things that kept me afloat was how I looked forward to coming home and posting a chapter for you all, and hopefully getting some fun comments in return.  
> What did you think? #teasing


	18. Confessions and Declarations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING - This chapter deals with childhood emotional and physical abuse.   
> If you think this chapter will upset you, you might want to skip it.

Carol

  
Therese started to tell her haltingly about the string of foster homes, the emotional and physical abuse she had suffered. How the one home had been so terrible that she often had bruises and welts.

  
"The foster mother there - she liked to use a belt. She would make up excuses to wallop me. I could swear she got some sort of sick pleasure out of it. And the next day, I wouldn't even be able to go to school - I would be too damaged to sit."

  
Carol nodded sympathetically, listening, putting her arm around her shoulders and squeezing gently when Therese faltered. All the while, she had to tamp down the simmering rage she felt that the child version of Therese had been treated this way. She knew her anger and outrage had no place here, not now. She let Therese talk as much as she was willing, softly asking questions; she could tell how difficult it was for her to talk about these things.

  
"I'm so sorry those things happened to you, baby. You did not deserve that sort of treatment. You should have been cherished, loved."

  
Therese felt tears burn her eyes and she turned her face to Carol's shoulder, nuzzling into her. Carol wrapped her arm around her and held her close as she cried a little. She stroked her hair soothingly and wiped the tears from her own eyes.

  
"It's ok, sweetie, we don't have to do anything that upsets you or reminds you of that."

  
Therese looked up at her, and she could tell from her face that she was coming to the hardest part of all to tell. The pure fear in her eyes - Carol held her breath to hear what horror must have caused it.

  
"I...the worst part is...maybe part of me wants that. I mean, it has slipped into my head sometimes, when I touch myself. The part about being hit with a belt. And then I feel so dirty, like I deserved it because I wanted it or something. I mean, that it turns me on, some part of it, that is some sick shit."

  
"Ohhh sweetheart, you were a child. Of course you didn't want it and didn't deserve it. But sometimes when things happen to us, our body responds in a way that ...well, is not how you would think it would react. And just because you eroticize one piece of that experience, does not mean that you wanted it to happen."

  
Therese nodded slowly, trying to make sense of it all. "It just doesn't fit together in my head - how horrible it was and how miserable I was, and now the way I....when I saw those things in your closet, there was this dark part of me that wanted you to ...." Therese stopped, struggled to find the words, "to do things to me, maybe even to hit me."

Therese's voice had trailed off to a tiny soft thing.

  
Carol sighed softly, "Well, that's the crazy thing about all this - we like what we like. Things turn us on that we don't understand. But there is no guilt in pleasure. You are an adult, I am an adult, we can both consent to things, we can both make it stop if we don't want it to happen. "

Carol laced her fingers in Therese's hand, squeezed it. "Your thoughts are your own, Therese, you can have as wild and taboo of a fantasy as you like. If it hurts no one else, then what is the harm?"

  
Therese looked up at her now and Carol could see the relief in her eyes.

  
_That fear - she was worried that I would reject her. That I would think her desire was just too perverse. Little does she know..._

  
Carol bit her lip hard so that she wouldn't smile at her own inner thought. She couldn't risk having Therese misinterpret that smile, to think she was anything but accepting of her.

  
Carol kissed her forehead gently. "We will take it slow. And we'll find the places where our...interests...overlap. And we can explore them together."

  
They both took a deep breath at the same time, and then laughed at the big exhale.

  
"I guess that wasn't so hard," Therese said. "So what kinds of things do you want to....do to me?" She looked hopeful and afraid all at the same time.

  
"Well, the first thing we'll do, is figure out your 'safeword,'" Carol said. "That's a word you can use at any time when you don't feel safe or if things feel too intense, and whatever it is we're doing, I will stop immediately and check on you, make sure you're ok."

  
"How about 'No,'" Therese asked, still trying to figure out why they needed a special word.

  
Carol chuckled, "That's not a very good word to use. Sometimes, in acting out a fantasy, you might want to say 'no' when what you really mean is 'ohhh yes'," she quirked an eyebrow. "Do you understand?"

  
"Yes," said Therese, wrinkling her brow, thinking, "How about 'red', like a stop light or a stop sign? That's easy to remember."

  
"Perfect," Carol said, internally laughing to herself that this inexperienced girl had managed to single in on the most universally used safeword in the bdsm world.

"And how about this," Carol added, "if the sensation or emotion is getting too intense, but you don't necessarily want it to stop, you can use 'yellow' to let me know to slow down."

  
Therese nodded, "Wow, I can control the pace like that too?"

  
Carol looked at her softly. "It will seem like I am in control, but the whole time, ultimately, you are the one in control. You can make it stop at any time, with a single word. That's how it's different from all those times before, that you can make it stop, that you control it all."

Carol stopped, hesitating, weighing her thoughts, then decided if Therese was brave enough to make such a confession, then she could show some bravery as well.

Carol looked down at their fingers laced together, then forced her eyes back up to Therese's. "And there's one other main difference as well."

"And what difference is that," said Therese, sensing a change in Carol's tone, a tenderness there that was so deep that her voice had thickened.

  
She searched Carol's lovely eyes, which had filled with tears.

  
"The other difference is that....I love you. And I will never ever let anyone hurt you again."

  
Therese felt hot tears burn her eyes, and she flung herself at Carol, pressing her face into her chest, wrapping her arms around her tightly.

  
"I love you too," she sighed into her bosom, "I feel like I've always loved you. You make me feel so special, so perfect, so safe."

  
Carol cupped Therese's cheeks in her hands, tilted her head up to look into her own teary eyes. "My darling, my little love," she breathed, "I will always keep you safe, and I will always be here for you."

  
The two kissed slowly and tenderly, every stroke of their tongues a declaration of their mutual love for each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo...this is the chapter I have been the most nervous about posting so far. Not sure at all how you will receive it, but maybe some of you picked up on the hint of this in an earlier chapter?   
> I never quite know what to expect, but anyhow....this is what I saw as the big hold-up from Therese all along, the conflict between her past experiences and her present desire. The conflict between mind and body. And Carol is there to help her work through her guilt and just enjoy the complexity of her sexual interests.   
> And on another note: no, I do not condone substituting BDSM for therapy. But I do think there's some healing mojo somewhere in there...


	19. Show and Tell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol takes Therese on a tour of her toybox (aka the Carol version of foreplay).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the lovely comments on last chapter. I shoulda had more faith in you gals - you are the best readership ever!  
> 

Therese  
Carol had asked her to drag one of the kitchen chairs back to her bedroom. Which was strange because, if they had a bed, what did they need a chair for?

  
Therese was on edge from the sexual frustration she had felt all day, but she also felt a strange sort of high from it. Carol was in control of it all, and she was good with that. But also, she had found out Carol loved her - so nothing in the world could possibly be anything but wonderful.

  
 She placed the chair near the foot of the bed, and Carol went in her closet to retrieve her little box of goodies. Carol placed the box on the bed and motioned Therese to sit in the chair.

  
"Since you already saw all of these things, I don't guess you need me to tell you about them?" Carol said, a half-smile on her face.

  
"Oh no...I mean yes, I'd like you to tell me about them. And about what you like." Therese fluttered her eyelashes flirtatiously at Carol.

  
Carol sat at the foot of the bed and opened the case, first pulling out the red leather strips Therese had seen. "These are restraints - for hands or wrists," she said, reaching out with one of the cuffs and dragging it across Therese's forearm so that she could feel the buttery soft leather. "I enjoy using these to make the other person unable to move, to escape - to have them helpless and totally in my control. To have YOU totally in my control." she watched Therese closely, noticed her chest rising and falling more rapidly.

  
"Have you ever been tied up or restrained?"

  
"No," breathed Therese.

  
"Do you think you might like that?" Carol asks, dangling one of the cuffs in her fingers.

  
"With you, yes, yes I think I would," Therese said.

  
She swallowed, and in the depths of her brain she could hear a voice shouting, _YES YES YES TIE ME UP! DO WHATEVER YOU WANT WITH ME, I'M YOURS!_

  
But she tried to keep her face as impassive as possible, reminding herself to breath deeply.

  
Carol pulled out the thing with the wooden handle and wide, flat leather strips.

  
"This is called a flogger. There are many types, to deliver many types of sensations. This one has lovely soft, thick, heavy leather - if I hit you lightly on the back with it, it would make a big soft thud...or if I hit you a little harder, it would sting. I love to create sensations and watch your reactions, to feel you submit your will to mine, to even take a little pain for me."

  
Therese reached out to touch the sueded strips, trying to imagine what that would feel like on her back. "Hmmm."

  
_Yes, to submit, such a lovely-sounding word. To finally stop fighting at the world and give my will over to another, to her._

  
Carol laid it down on the bed and picked up the next item in her perverse little show and tell. "Here's a blindfold, in case I don't want you to see what I'm doing, or maybe I just want you to focus your senses on something else besides sight."

  
"And this," she said, picking up the riding crop, "is a fun little toy - here, hold out your hand."

  
Therese held out her hand tentatively, and Carol slid her hand underneath, cradling it, and tapping the crop very lightly on her palm, then tracing it up her forearm.

  
"Most of these things can create a very light sensation, or a very intense one. I like to see a response - I want to see what responses I can bring out in you. To watch you experience it all."

  
Therese shivered, her knee bouncing in anticipation, her mind going in a million directions, already trying to imagine what all these things would feel like, what her response might be.

  
"And this," Carol said, picking up a wide, flat wooden paddle, "well of course you know what this is. Did you ever get a smack from one of these, when you were naughty at school perhaps?"

  
Therese nodded, wide-eyed. Carol gave her a wicked smile. "If you're naughty with me, maybe I'll have to put you across my lap and spank you," and then she leaned in closer, her breath hot in Therese's ear, "or maybe I'll spank you even if you're good, for my own pleasure, just because I want to see your bottom get pink."

  
Therese felt her cheeks glowing, the heat all the way up to the roots of her hair. She squirmed in her seat, saw Carol's eyes so intently on her, burning into her. She knew Carol was watching her, looking to see how she would react. Therese tried to hold it together the best she could, but her body betrayed her. Her hips had already started to move on the hard wooden chair.

  
Carol picked up the black whip, uncoiled it - it was about 4 feet long. "This whip is called a single tail; it was hand-braided for me. I practiced with it a lot before it ever came anywhere near a person. It requires precision, and it can hurt, even leave a mark."

  
Therese's eyes widened. The thing looked like a snake, an evil thing. "I...I'm not sure I want that."

  
Carol placed the whip in Therese's hand, letting her feel the tight sensuous braid, the heavy shot-loaded handle. "I will let you tell me when you want it, when you are ready for it. In fact, I just might make you beg me for it."

  
Therese doubted seriously that would ever happen, but the thought of begging Carol for something, of pleading with her, turned her on immensely nonetheless.

  
Therese watched the way the beautiful blonde handled each thing so carefully, almost reverently, and the pride she seemed to take in showing her toys to Therese. It was like watching an artist touching her brushes, carefully lining up the tubes of paint. Therese was in awe of her, of the mystery that was unfolding before her.

  
"I have some more items in here too, but I think you get the idea," Carol said, pulling out some lengths of rope. She twisted and twirled the rope around her fingers sensuously, and Therese watched intently.

"Now, I'm going to ask you some questions, and you need to be a good girl and answer me."


	20. Game On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls finally have some play time together.....and no, I wouldn't read this at work if I were you.

Carol twisted and twirled the rope around her fingers sensuously, and Therese watched intently. "Now, I'm going to ask you some questions, and you need to be a good girl and answer me."

  
Therese's heart started a quick thump thump and she squirmed in her seat again.

  
_Game on._

  
She nodded.

  
"Your words, Therese, use your words."

  
"Yes," Therese said.

  
Carol cocked her head to the side, watching her. "Hmm...I think, when we play our games, you should show me a little extra....deference. I think you should answer me 'Yes Ma'am' or 'No Ma'am.' What do you think of that?"

  
"Yes Ma'am," Therese smiled a crooked little smile and cocked an eyebrow at Carol.

  
"Good girl," Carol said, and squeezed her knee.

  
Brain melt.

  
_I'll call her anything she wants, I just want her to fuck me._

  
Carol draped the rope over one of Therese's forearms, letting her feel how soft it was. "I'm going to tie you to this chair, and I'm going to ask you questions, and you are going to answer me fully and truthfully, understood?"

  
"Yes Ma'am," Therese said, giggling nervously.

  
"But if at any moment, you need to make it stop, all you have to do is say your safeword," she paused, " which is?"

  
"Red."

  
"That's right. Good." She reached forward, brushed the bangs off Therese's face. "I want you naked." She gestured for Therese to stand up.   
Therese stood up, looking at Carol uncertainly.

  
_Hmmm, she's gonna just sit there and watch me strip? Should I try to do this sexy?_

  
"Go ahead."

  
Feeling shy all of a sudden, Therese started to peel off her clothes. Carol was watching her with cool, appraising eyes. When she was down to her bra and panties, she paused, looking at Carol.

  
"All of them," she said, her voice hard. It sent a shiver down Therese's spine. She quickly pulled off her remaining clothes.

  
"Sit."

  
Therese sat back in the wooden chair which felt incredibly cold now. She was self-consciously aware that she was already leaving a wet spot in the seat of it, and they had only just begun.

  
_If I wreck this chair, will I be in trouble? And do I care?_

  
Slowly, Carol walked around the back of her chair, dragging her nails across the top of Therese's back. Carol's arms came around in front  of her, holding the white cotton rope between her hands, wrapping the rope around her above and below her breasts, around her upper arms, securing her to the chair. Therese looked down and saw her breasts standing out stiffly above and below the ropes. She pulled against the ropes a little just to feel their tug - they held firm. It felt oddly comforting, like a hug.

  
Carol came around in front of her, towering over her, her legs against Therese's knees. She looked so incredibly tall - Therese was at the level of her belly button. She held a shorter length of rope in her hands.

  
She knelt in front of Therese, her face at eye level, running the tips of her fingers along the wraps of rope. She looked closely at Therese's face, "Now, I'm going to secure your wrists and ankles to the chair too. I'll use several wraps of rope at each point - it distributes the pressure so you won't get rope burn."

  
_Holy shit, she sounds like a mad professor. Is there a school for this stuff? And if so, I'm hot for teacher._

  
Carol started to wind the rope around each of her limbs, fastening her effectively to the arms and legs of the chair. Having her ankles bound to the outsides of the chair legs had forced her legs open, exposing herself. She felt very open....vulnerable. She could feel cool air on her wetness.

  
When Carol was finished, she stood again, picked up the crop, watched Therese as she tapped it against her palm and started to pace back and forth in front of her chair.

  
Therese felt her heart beat faster, that strange, heady mix of anxiety and lust mixing her up like a high-speed blender. Carol looked stunning: she had on blood-red lipstick, her hair was pulled back and clipped against her neck. Her blouse was black and lacy, low cut - she could barely see a hint of a black bra underneath. She wore tight black pants that came to just above her ankles and at some point, Therese didn't know when, she had changed into red stiletto heels that made a very disconcerting tap tap tap on the floor as she paced.   
And those eyes - they bore into her, right into her soul. She felt she could keep no secrets from this woman; she'd never want to, anyway.

  
Carol reached out with the crop and slid it softly against her cheek, a caress. "What are you thinking?"

  
"Umm...nothing?" Therese's voice was a question.

  
Carol frowned at her and shook her head, then smacked the crop on her left thigh just enough to sting slightly. "And you were doing so well."

  
Therese jerked in the chair a little, her mouth open.

  
"Let's try again. What are you thinking?"

  
"I...I'm thinking that this is hot. But my mind is racing with where it's going."

  
"Better. If you give me enough details in your answers, then I might, just might, give you a reward." Carol traced the tip of the crop up her thigh and lightly nudged at the swollen center of her desire.

  
Therese squirmed again in the chair.  

  
"Have you ever been tied up, Therese?"

  
"No," Carol quirked an eyebrow and she caught herself, "No Ma'am."

  
She smiled. "Well you look lovely tied up and helpless like that. I rather like having you at my mercy."

  
Therese felt a delicious shiver down her spine, and she squirmed in the ropes again to feel the bindings.

  
"Have you been spanked by a lover before?"

  
"No Ma'am."

  
"Blindfolded?"

  
"A couple of times I have fooled around with having something over my eyes or something over the other person's eyes."

  
"And what about gags...have you had something in your mouth like that?" Therese blushed furiously, remembering her little masturbation session where she shoved her own bedsheets into her mouth.

  
_Hmmm, how to answer this one honestly?_

  
"Well, not with another person I haven't."

  
"Oh? Do tell."

  
"Well umm...not too long ago....I was just fooling around kind of, on my own, and I just pretended."

  
"More detail," Carol smacked the crop against her palm menacingly.

  
"I pretended that I had a gag in my mouth ...by...balling up part of my sheet and putting it in my mouth."

  
_Now I sound like a total deviant._

  
"And what were you fantasizing about, when you did that?" Carol leaned in close, inspecting her.

  
"You."

  
Carol tapped the crop on her palm  again impatiently, and Therese went on in a mad rush, "I was thinking of you, imagining you in your black boots, you had me bound and helpless on the bed, gagged. You were biting my neck."

  
"And were you playing with that naughty little pussy of yours while you imagined this?"

  
Therese blushed furiously, "Yes Ma'am."

  
Carol shook her head, supressing a smile, "Tsk Tsk. It sounds like you touch yourself quite often. I guess you really did need me to take control of that for you today, didn't you?"

  
"Yes Ma'am, " Therese panted, feeling yet another gush of juice leak out onto the hard chair bottom.

  
"I might have to monitor that situation on a regular basis - tell you when you have permission to touch yourself, when you have permission to come."

  
Therese moaned, unable to contain herself.

  
"Would you like that, little girl?"

  
"Yes Ma'am," she slurred, feeling like she had a hit of some delicious drug directly to her veins.

  
Carol stroked her cheek, rewarding her for her easy acquiescence to her desires. "Such a good girl," she purred. Therese blindly rubbed against the hand at her cheek, wanted to lick the hand, wanted to be her good girl no matter what.

  
Carol stepped away again, her heels tapping on the floor, waiting, giving Therese time to clear her head and refocus.

  
"What kinds of things have you had inside you?" She asked, conversationally, like she was asking Therese what her favorite kind of pizza was.

  
Therese bit her lower lip. "Fingers. A tongue."

  
"What about a penis? Dildo? Vibrator?"

  
"No Ma'am, none of those things - really just the fingers and tongue."

  
Therese's face was now in a permanent blush, the delicious embarrassment sending a constant flame down to her spread legs.

  
"And what about in your ass, what have you had there?"

  
"Oh gosh nothing!" Therese said, wide-eyed. Carol chuckled at her startled response. She leaned in close, grinning, enjoying her shocked expression, "So I'm guessing no one has ever rimmed that sweet little bottom of yours?"

  
Therese was speechless, she could only shake her head, this time her words utterly failed her.

  
Carol chuckled again and let it slide this time.

  
"Oh you sweet little darling, so many things for us to explore, so many cherries for me to pluck." Carol ran her hand up the back of Therese's scalp and made a fist in her hair, pulling her hair ever so slightly.

  
Therese groaned, the tug on her hair felt soooo good, she pulled back against her hand just to feel more tension.

  
Carol growled softly and pulled harder, forcing Therese's head back - she moved to stand over her so that she could look directly down at Therese's face. She held her in her grip, and Therese looked up at her through heavy-lidded eyes.

  
"Oh yessss," Therese whispered.

  
She felt Carol's hand slide over her breasts between the bindings, the lightest touch on her hard nipples.

  
"Tell me, darling, what you want right now? Do you want me to be cruel to you, or do you want me to be kind," Carol said, her eyes dancing, a smile playing on her lips.

  
"Hurt me," Therese breathed.

  
_Holy shit, did I just say that? What the fuck?_

  
"Yesss baby girl, yesss." Carol leaned down, her grip still tight in Therese's hair, and bit into the soft spot between her neck and her shoulder. She bit firmly, then swirled her tongue around it.

  
Therese felt a sting and then white heat sliding out, radiating up her neck.

  
Carol's nimble fingers found her right nipple, toyed with it, then pinched it, increasing pressure on it. Her eyes bore into Therese's.  
Therese squirmed and panted, the pressure on her nipple at once delicious agony.

  
Carol released the nipple and Therese's hair, and she drooped forward a little in her bonds.

  
Carol picked up her crop again and started to tap it lightly against Therese's spread thighs. Therese could feel her thighs quivering, her knees trying to bounce.

  
tap tap tap SMACK   
Carol gave her left thigh one hard smack.

  
tap tap tap SMACK

...and then her right.

  
Carol started to alternate the taps and smacks to her thighs, keeping her rhythm and the intensity of the hits unpredictable. Therese bounced on the chair.

  
_It stings, whooo, sensation overload!_

  
But something about the sting in her thighs kept feeding the flame between her legs, an odd circuit of pleasure and pain that was hard to distinguish. And a dark little place in her brain wanted it to hurt, growled low in its throat, bared its teeth.

  
She sucked air through her teeth, tossed her head back, tried to close her thighs against the ropes. The intensity of the sensation grew.

  
tap tap thwack SMACK

  
She could feel a sheen of sweat on her forehead and she rocked in the chair, frantically wanting, needing.

  
The smacks stopped, and she could feel Carol's cool hand on her hot thighs. She looked down to see that beautiful slender hand caressing the pink marks from the crop on her thighs. Her fingers pinched at the flesh in places, explored, examined. She dragged her nails along the insides of her thighs, almost to the place where the wet curls were nestled. Therese tried to rock her hips up to her in vain.

  
"Sooo pretty, these marks are so pretty. Don't you think so, love?"

  
Therese watched, and found herself surprised by the answer she felt.

  
"Yes Ma'am."

  
Carol let the tip of her finger hover just against the damp curls; Therese felt there was a furnace there. Carol must be able to feel the heat radiating off of that place.

  
She pressed her finger in a quarter of an inch further, coming into contact so lightly against the swollen folds. Therese struggled to move her hips again.

  
"Be still," Carol said quietly.

  
It took everything in her power to keep her hips still, as that finger insinuated itself, ever so slowly, further into her warmth and wetness.

Therese grit her teeth.

  
"Good, don't move now," Carol murmured, sliding the finger lower through her wetness, pressing fully between her labia and then dragging back up again.

  
"Hold still," She whispered, over and over, continuing to drag her finger up and down Therese's sensitive slit. Her finger moved so slowly, so sensuously. Therese trembled with the effort. Each time the circuit ended with a flick over her clit, Therese thought she might lose her mind.

  
Finally Carol withdrew her finger, brought the glistening digit up in front of Therese's face for her to see.

  
"You enjoyed that," she said, matter of factly.

  
_Yes, captain obvious._ Therese could not control the smart ass in her brain.

  
But still, the evidence of her desire, her immense arousal was the proof that Carol was showing to Therese. Forcing her to admit her own dark desires to herself.

  
Now Carol brought the finger to Therese's lips, pressing it into her mouth.

  
"Lick," Carol said, and Therese complied, sucking on Carol's finger, making love to that finger with her lips and tongue.

  
Therese watched Carol's face, and she could tell that the woman was trying hard to keep her own composure, biting back a groan. But Carol's eyes did not lie, the slate clouds in her eyes churned with desire, her pupils were dilated and threatened to swallow the irises whole. Therese felt her own power then, knew what she did to Carol, knew how giving herself to this woman in this way affected her.

  
Therese looked boldly into her eyes and licked her tongue out at the rest of her fingers, taking another finger into her mouth and sucking at it, her tongue now licking down between the fingers and onto her palm.

  
Carol moaned.

  
"My god, girl, what you do to me," she panted, taking her fingers from Therese's mouth and replacing it with her tongue.

She gripped Therese's hair again and held her head firmly while she rammed her tongue into her mouth possessively, capturing that orifice as her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh this chapter was so fun to write! Hope you all enjoy and have some sweet dreams (or very happy mornings, depending on your time zone).


	21. A Couple of Weirdos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If love is a basket of neatly folded laundry, then so is a sandwich. Mostly fluff.

Carol

  
Their lovemaking had been intense, hungry, almost violent after Carol had untied her. They flung themselves on the bed, a tempestuous tangle of limbs and heat. Therese's clit was a hair trigger, Carol barely had to touch her to make her erupt over and over.

  
Carol felt her own body thrumming with pleasure, and with each of Therese's orgasms she could feel her own clit pulse and contract. This girl, who had overcome her fears to give herself so willingly and completely to her desires - this girl was everything she had hoped and dreamed of in her darkest lonely hours.

  
And now here she was, on her bed, eager and willing to please. Carol wanted to reward her, to give her pleasure beyond her wildest dreams.

  
_I will give her whatever she wants._

  
And what Therese wanted was Carol's hot, wet sex in her mouth. She fastened her mouth on Carol, suckling and rubbing her face between her legs until Carol's legs trembled and shook, and she thought her whole body would turn inside out with the pleasure of it all. Finally she could take no more, and she pulled the sweet, panting girl up beside her on the bed.

  
They lay together, the sweat cooling on their bodies, their limbs tangled, the smell of sex permeating the air. Carol placed her hand on the girl's chest and could feel her heart beating wildly there, her chest rising and falling. Carol could not feel any of her limbs, she was just one throbbing sexual organ and a pounding heart.

  
Finally, Therese shifted in her arms, caressed Carol's breast with her cheek. Carol kissed her on the top of the head, "Come on, I'll make you a sandwich. You must be starved."

  
She found one of her old t-shirts for Therese to wear, which hung down to her knees. Carol slipped on the same silky robe Therese had seen her in on that first magical day.

  
"Ohh, when I first saw you in that, I should have known I was a goner," Therese said, laying the back of her hand against her forehead and feigning a swoon.

  
Carol laughed, "Silly girl."

  
Therese followed her into the kitchen and sat in a chair while Carol rummaged in the fridge, setting things out on the counter. She could feel the girl's eyes on her every movement; she had never been watched so intently, nor with such unabashed admiration. It was exhilarating.

  
She took her time laying out the bread, spreading on the mustard, carefully laying pieces of ham and swiss in perfect proportions. She felt every movement of her hands and body had grace and sensuality, her own beauty reflected in those adoring eyes, watching her. Every breath was deeper, the air was sweeter, her lungs filled completely until she felt she could float up and through the ceiling.

  
She cut the sandwiches carefully in half and added some carrot sticks, then set the plate in front of Therese.

  
"Thank you," Therese said, her eyes full of such gratitude that it gave Carol a love-cramp in her side.

  
Carol leaned over and kissed her temple, "I made yours with extra love on it."

  
Therese took a bite, grinning impishly, "Mmmm, I can taste the love."

  
The two of them sat in the kitchen together in silence, eating, looking at each other and breathing in the sweetness of the moment. Carol's mind whirled, projected this scene into their futures together, imagined so many sandwiches shared sitting at this table.

  
_Oh my heart._

  
Carol leaned her chin on her hand and watched Therese chew. "Aren't you going to eat yours?" Therese asked, her mouth full.

  
"Mmm hmm," Carol said, still watching her, making sure she didn't just dissolve into thin air.

  
She leaned over to dab a bit of mustard off the corner of Therese's mouth. Therese's eyes were pools of exotic chocolate, her long lazy lashes blinking slowly. Carol could not keep her hands off her, she was always touching some part of her, her hand on the table, her knee. So many times she had wanted to touch Therese, and now she just could, whenever she wanted. It was a miracle, total magic.

  
When they had both finished eating, she took Therese's hand and led her into the living room, pulled her onto the couch with her. She pulled Therese's back against her and wrapped an arm and leg around her, holding her possessively.

  
"Tell me something else about you, anything. I want to know everything," Carol said softly.

  
"Oh, more questions? Aren't you going to tie me to a chair again?" Therese giggled, and Carol laughed with her, then poked her playfully in the ribs, tickling her.

  
"Ackk! Cut that out!" She squirmed in Carol's grip.

  
Carol kissed her neck.

  
"OK, I'll tell you something, but then I think it'll be your turn to share something - fair?"

  
"Yes," Carol agreed.

  
"Hmmm...well, my guilty pleasure is trashy tv. Lots of reality tv, actually. Everything from House Flippers to Real Housewives to Survivor. In fact, one of my favorite things to do is sit on my cozy couch, in my comfiest pj's, eating a pint of ice cream while watching one of those crazy survivalist shows like "Naked and Afraid"....just thinking to myself how comfy and full I am while that fool is out there suffering and for what? Watching other people and their drama is pretty fun, especially when you can do it from afar. It all makes me feel so sane and normal."

  
"Ha! My theory is that nobody is normal, everyone is a weirdo. And if you don't think they're a weirdo, then you just don't know them well enough yet."

  
"Even me?" Therese pretended to be shocked. "You think I'm weird?"

  
"Yes!" Carol tweaked her nose. "But the lovely thing about your weirdness is that it fits so perfectly with my weirdness. That when we're together, we almost seem normal!"

  
The both laughed at that, and Carol put her hand on Therese's belly to feel where the laughter started.

  
"So, your turn. Fair is fair," Therese prompted.

  
"What do you want to know?"

  
"Tell me about your daughter."

  
"She's amazing. Sometimes I can't believe she came from me, that my body made something that exquisite....but of course other times I see so much of myself in her that I think 'oh you poor thing!' But I think she is the best of both of us, of me and her father. She's bookish like him, always curious, and she will wear you down with her arguments. Little smart ass."

  
"Have you been divorced for long?"

  
Carol sighed, "Well, I guess officially I'm not yet. We are still wrangling the paperwork, but I hope to have it finalized in the next month or so. We've been separated for 6 months, and he's been fighting it all the way. But if he were honest with himself, he would realize the marriage was over years ago."

  
"Sooo....you were with women...before you married?"

  
"Before, during, after...." Carol looked at her ruefully. "I'm not proud of it. I've not been a saint in this relationship. But it took me so long to figure out what I really wanted...or maybe just, to accept what I really wanted."

  
Therese nodded, listening.

  
"And those toys you have. You mentioned something about the whip, using it on someone...else."

  
Carol could hear the hitch in Therese's voice at that. She shifted uncomfortably.

  
"Well, yes."

  
Therese turned around to look at her.

  
"Is there someone who you....well...I mean...is there someone now?"

Carol's stomach lurched and she felt the sandwich rise in her throat.

  
_Time to face the music._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it looks like Carol is finally going to have to confess about Abby. How do you think it will go?  
> And did you think the chapter was sufficiently fluffy?


	22. Hear No Evil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol tries to explain her relationship with Abby to Therese.

Therese

  
Therese did not want to ask, she did not want to know...but some part of her had to know. She wanted to know Carol was hers and hers alone. And when there had been a mention of someone else earlier, she had fought back the pang of jealousy she felt, had shoved it down and relegated the whole thing to something that had happened in the distant past.

  
But at the look in Carol's eye now, she knew there was more to it. She knew Carol was going to tell her things she didn't want to hear.

  
Like a child she covered her ears, even though she had asked the question.

  
Carol took her hands gently and removed them from her ears, held them in her own.

  
"I can't keep secrets from you. I won't. My whole marriage was full of secrets, and I won't do that again. Because I want to do it right this time, with you."

  
Therese felt the room was spinning, a tilt-a-whirl.

  
"Take some deep breaths, sweetheart, you're going to be fine. We're going to be fine." Carol soothed.

  
_Fuck Fuck Fuck I knew this was too good to be true. I should have known better._

  
Carol kept holding on to her wrists, stroking her thumbs across them. "I don't know how to make this easy for you, maybe there isn't any way, maybe I just have to tell you and then we can figure out how to move forward from here."

  
Therese struggled to hear her over the buzz in her ears.

  
"I have a good friend who I play with, we see each other sometimes. But we don't....I mean, we have boundaries of what we do. So I don't do everything with her. Oh hell, what I'm trying to say is we don't have sex. At least not now - we used to, before I was married, but now it's different. And when I say it out loud it sounds so messed up, but really, you have nothing to worry about, we are just friends, it's not like with you."

  
Therese tried to understand the babble, make sense of this stream of words. She sat up, pulling her hands away from Carol, feeling a need to have some distance, to be able to regain her sense of self. She could see the hurt on Carol's face from her withdrawal, but she had to ignore it - this was about self-preservation.

  
"So this woman, you're still seeing her?"

  
"You make it sound so ....we're not dating. We're friends, have been friends since childhood."

  
"Does she know about me?"

  
"Not exactly." Therese felt a dagger in her heart. Carol pressed on, "She knew there was someone I was infatuated with, but I haven't spoken to her since you and I have....escalated."

  
Therese got up from the couch and now Carol had sat up; Therese was pacing like a caged thing.

  
"But of course I will tell her. We just don't talk all that often. And she'll be happy for me."

  
Therese brought her hands back up to her head again, ground her teeth. She wanted to run and hide, to shrink into a ball, to stop breathing and disappear. And some fierce part of her wanted to lash out at Carol, too, to hurt her, hurt her back for the hurt she was causing Therese. It was all too much, so much to contain.

  
"Therese." She heard her name coming at her through the fog. "Therese, look at me."

  
Therese forced her head around to look at Carol again. Her eyes were watery, pale, so pale. She had that look on her face...where had she seen that look?

  
Oh yes, that time before, when I called her "lady." And afterwards, I had so much regret, regret for hurting her.

  
_Damn Damn Damn I cannot escape myself, I cannot escape her, I want to slam my head against a wall and knock it all out._

  
"Therese," she said again, "baby."

  
Therese's heart crumbled, she wanted solace, and there was only one place she had found it - with Carol. Therese went to her, stumbled to her knees in front of her, leaned her head down on the couch next to Carol's thigh.

  
She could feel Carol's fingers stroking the back of her head as she started to sob softly.

  
"I can't, I can't, I can't," Therese whispered between sobs.

  
"We'll figure it out, baby," Carol said to her softly, and she could hear the rattle in her voice. She pulled Therese's head more tightly against her, stroking her shoulders and upper back.

  
"Come here, come to me," Carol said, tugging at her shirt, pulling her up towards her. Therese climbed up on the couch beside her, curled into a ball against her, pressed her sodden face against Carol's silky chest.

  
_God, that smell, the smell of her. I can't live without the smell of her._

  
Therese allowed herself be comforted. It was all she could do, she had put her toes up to the edge of the chasm of loss and despair, of life without Carol, and she couldn't do it. She didn't have a choice now, she would have to take whatever this was and deal with it.

  
She clung to Carol like a sole survivor, hanging on to a piece of shredded boat in a choppy sea. Her life raft.

  
After a while she felt her heart start to calm, her tears had stopped. She was totally worn out, exhausted. Her mind settled back down into her body, starting to feel the cramps in her limbs, her head throbbing. She shifted against Carol, who was still there, holding her, stroking her, rocking her gently.

  
Carol sensed the change in her and slipped two fingers under her chin, raised her face to look at her. "Are you back with me?" she said softly, looking into her eyes compassionately.

  
"Yes."

  
"That was good, you know. That even though you were scared, you didn't run away. That you stayed with me."

  
Therese nodded, wiping her nose with the back of her hand.

  
"Here," Carol said, reaching over and grabbing a Kleenex and holding it to Therese's nose. "Blow."

  
Therese grimaced, then reached up and took the Kleenex from Carol, shaking her head and laughing a little.

  
"I can still blow my own nose, thankyouverymuch," she said, honking into the Kleenex, and they both started to laugh.

  
Carol leaned in and kissed her softly on the temple. "Can I tell you more about my friend now? I want you to know about her - she's important."

  
Therese nodded tentatively, not wanting to be hurled back into a dark place, holding her breath a little. And Carol began to tell her about Abby.  
\---------------

  
Therese felt herself began to relax a little as she heard more about Carol's friendship with Abby, how they had negotiated their relationship through the years. A part of her was so jealous of their closeness, of the experiences they had shared....but another weird part of her was grateful to Abby, that Abby had been there for Carol, had helped bring Carol intact to the place she was now. In a deep way she understood that the Carol she now knew and loved might never have survived if there had not been an Abby.

  
Carol told her about a time she had been drowning in despair, not seeing a hope for a better life, trapped in a loveless marriage and so depressed. And Abby had been there for her, encouraging her to finally seek a divorce from Harge, convincing her that staying in a loveless marriage presented a worse role model to Rindy than being a woman who stayed on, endured.

  
And then, Carol brought her up to the present times, of her negotiated play time with Abby, what exactly their boundaries were. And she tried, as honestly as possible without being insensitive, to explain what they each got out of it.

  
"Will you still play with her then, even though... you are with me?" Therese asked, the question really two-fold: _Will you still play with her_ AND _Are you with me?_

  
Carol furrowed her brow. "Well, I think that's up to us. To you and me, to discuss and decide what we are comfortable with. My friendship with her is not negotiable, though," Carol said firmly.

  
"So, if I asked you not to, you wouldn't play with her?"

  
Carol hesitated a beat, took a breath.

  
"That's right, if you really didn't want me to, then I wouldn't. But I would hope we could discuss it, give it some time and see. Honestly I am not sure that I still want to, my head and heart are so overwhelmed by you, all I can think about is you and being with you. It's hard to think clearly right now."

  
Carol reached her fingers under her chin again to tilt her face up, leaned in and kissed her, licked at her open mouth.

  
"I don't want to think clearly right now," she murmured against Therese's lips.

  
Therese panted, the fear and primal urgency of the last hour creating a strange mix of arousal and hunger. She clutched at Carol's robe, clinging to her. She found her hand sliding to Carol's breast of its own will, gently pressing at the softness of it, feeling her hard nipple start to come to life and poke through the silky material under her hand.

  
Carol leaned back, her hands at her sides, her body an open invitation to Therese.

  
"Here, take what you want," Carol whispered. Therese could see in her eyes that there was more to it, that it was meaningful to Carol, this giving of herself. To Therese it was everything, to be allowed to roam free across Carol's body.

  
Therese kneeled up on the couch, soaking in the beauty before her. She released the sash on the nightgown and it fell open, revealing those perfect, voluptuous breasts.

  
Carol took in a deep breath, and her breasts heaved. "It's all yours, baby, I'm yours."

  
Therese slid her hand between those breasts, across the soft folds of her stomach, down to those creamy, flawless thighs. With her caresses, she moved the robe back further, drinking her in, her head swimming again with the sights and smells of this goddess before her.

  
She leaned her head in and fastened her lips to a nipple, suckling softly. She reached her hand up to gently knead at Carol's breast while she sucked, closing her eyes and savoring the sensation of that soft, delicious nub flattening against her tongue.

  
Carol moaned, and Therese felt her hands go up to cradle the back of her head, holding her to her breast. Therese breathed in and out with Carol, their bodies melding, the sensation and peacefulness of it all making Therese's eyes roll back in her head with pleasure. She wanted to crawl inside of Carol, all that warmth and softness, press into her until they were one.

  
Finally she released the nipple with a warm, wet "pop." She leaned her cheek against Carol's breast, drew her thumb across the wet, stiffened nipple with her thumb. She kissed her way up Carol's chest to her neck, tasting her, licking at her ear lobes, nibbling the soft spot behind her ear, burying her face in the waves of her hair. Her hand reached down to caress Carol's breasts again, she would never be able to get enough of the feel of them, their softness, the heavy femininity of them. She slid her hand around to Carol's side, down her waist to her hip, her hand flowing in and out of the curves.

  
_Oh yes, so womanly, those curves._

  
She stroked her thumb at Carol's hipbone, feeling the point of it, her fingers cupping the flesh of her hip, digging her fingers in slightly to that soft flesh. She nipped at her collarbone, licked, nipped again, dragging her tongue across the hollow of Carol's throat.

  
Carol's breathing was shallow, her skin was flushed pink. Therese glanced down to see her hands at her sides again, gripping at the couch cushions. Carol was restraining herself, letting Therese have her way, holding herself back to give Therese free reign of her body. It was so delicious, Carol spread before her like a banquet, a feast for one.

  
Therese pushed the robe off Carol's shoulders, licking and biting her there, climbing on top of her to straddle her lap, letting her fingers explore up to stroke through those gorgeous blonde locks. The playground of Carol, the feast of earthly delights.

  
Therese stripped off her t-shirt, wanting to feel her bare skin against Carol's. She rubbed herself sensuously against her, felt the warmth of them building to a fiery heat. She pulled Carol forward and she complied, and Therese finished undressing her, pulling the robe off her arms. She wrapped her arms around her tall lover and stroked her hands down her back, pressing their bodies together.

  
Carol quirked her lips at her, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Don't get too used to this."

  
Therese breathed softly into her ear, "I won't," knowing it was a gift, the most beautiful gift, Carol giving up her control in this moment.

  
They kissed, Therese boldly probing Carol's mouth with her tongue, tasting her, drinking in the sweetness of her, her soft lips and warm wet mouth open. Her fingers tangled in Carol's hair, and she could feel Carol's hands slide around to her buttocks, cupping them, pulling her in closer. Their hot breaths mingled, the kiss went on and on; Therese could feel her wetness pressing against Carol's stomach.

  
Therese slid herself down Carol's body, climbing off of her, pushing her knees apart to kneel on the floor between her legs. She pulled her legs forward and Carol complied, moving her hips to the edge of the couch cushions.

  
Therese pressed her face in between her legs, breathing her in, rubbing her nose softly against those golden wet curls. She hooked her arms under Carol's thighs, lifting her, holding her steady. She pressed her face in and licked, tasting her, smelling her.

  
_No place I would rather be. This is heaven this is heaven this is heaven._

  
Therese licked at her, suckled Carol's large swollen clit into her mouth, grazed her teeth against her inner labia. Carol was so wet for her, so open, she dragged her tongue against her opening.

  
Carol was groaning, moving her hips, alternating between looking down at Therese between her legs and throwing her head back against the couch cushions. Her hands were back at her sides, clawing the cushions.

  
Therese dabbed her tongue around the stiff clit, teasing it. She pulled her hands out from under Carol's thighs and used them to peel Carol's lips wide open, lifting them, exposing the little pearl at the tip of her clit. So softly, so gently, she flicked at it with her tongue, enclosed it in her lips. Carol's hips jerked.

  
She pulled her mouth away from Carol and trailed her fingers down to Carol's opening, circling it. Her fingers danced in the wetness there, exploring gently. Her eyes went up to Carol's, a question. She waited for her to look down at her, to see her inquisitive gaze.

  
"Yes," she sighed, lifting her hips.

  
Therese slipped in a finger gently, then two, those small, delicate fingers sliding into the hot slickness of her love. She moved her fingers, twirling, lifting, beginning to drum them softly against the sweet spot inside her.

  
Carol groaned and bit her lip.

  
"Oh yesss, Therezzz," she moved her hips in rhythm, "put me back in your mouth, please."

  
Therese fastened her mouth back onto her pulsing clit, her fingers playing a gentle staccato inside of her, synchronizing the rhythm of her tongue, starting a dance that would not stop until Carol had reached her ultimate pleasure. She watched her every motion, listened to the sounds of her desire, changing her pace to see what created the most commotion in that lovely body.

  
She fluttered her tongue at her delicious sex, swirling her tongue all over the engorged flesh, the flavor of Carol flooding her mouth, liquid evidence of her desire, of her impending unraveling.

  
Her shoulder and tongue had started to ache, but she was committed now, on a march to see this through, a delicious suffering for this, for this, for this. To see her explode, to watch the beauty of her in ecstasy.

  
Carol's whole body had flushed with heat,  her head was thrown back against the couch cushions, eyes closed, panting. Her hands had balled into fists, hammering at the cushions, until she could stand it no more - she reached her hands and tangled them in Therese's hair, pressing her face closer into her, holding her there as she arched her hips, they rode together.

  
She rose completely off the couch, her legs spread wide, obscenely, holding Therese's mouth against her and she screamed, cumming loudly, a violent jerking and hoarse yell of passion. Therese stayed fastened to her, licking, stabbing with her tongue, her fingers continuing their play until Carol gasped and jerked her hips, pushing her face away gently and whimpering "No more no more no more."

  
Slowly Therese withdrew her fingers, feeling Carol's slick tunnel clenching at her as she pulled out. She leaned back on her haunches, looked up at the beautiful hot mess she had created. Carol's hair was tangled, her face flushed, sweat beaded her upper lip, she was slumped against the cushions and breathing hard, unable to move.

  
Therese wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, pressed her lips against Carol's knee cap, bit her gently, sucked at the skin. Carol twitched.

  
Therese's own sex was dripping, but somehow she felt sated, her breathing returned to normal, a sense of peace washed over her. She kissed along the side of Carol's knee, her thigh. She pressed her forehead against Carol's leg.

  
It was going to be all right.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's some truth....at this point in the story, all I really want them to do is have sex and make sandwiches. But I'm powering through. Mostly. Although they did have sex, and there will probably be more sandwiches.
> 
> But enough about me - what did you gals think?


	23. Lord of the Manor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Therese meets the infamous Abby. Will the two hit it off, or will the fur fly?

Carol

  
Carol pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex, the frost still coating the edges of her windshield. It had taken her a while to pick out what to wear. How to look casual, comfortable, not too sexy, whatever a woman would wear to meet someone who was just a friend. Or what you would wear when taking your new girlfriend to meet your best friend for the first time. Were those two different things?

  
She had overthought it to the point where she had just given up, picking out some worn, comfortable jeans, a soft linen blouse, a tan corduroy blazer, her favorite short brown boots. If the situation got sticky, at least her clothes could be comfortable.

  
It had been a couple of weeks since she told Therese about Abby - a glorious few weeks, full of late night talks, romantic dinners, trashy television shared in their pj's, and a sensual exploration of each other's bodies and minds.

  
Now the time had finally come for Therese to meet Abby - she had invited the couple to her house for a long weekend. Carol was beside herself with nerves, had been giving herself a pep talk all morning.

  
_This is going to be fine. They both love you, they will get over it._   


  
She knocked on Therese's door, standing in the hallway, chewing at a nail. Therese answered, looking exquisite.

  
_I guess she didn't feel the need to tone down the sexiness._   


  
She was wearing a dress - Carol had never even seen her in a dress. It was dark green, soft, clinging to her body with a neckline so low that you could see the swell of her breasts. The green made Therese's eyes look green, sparkling emeralds in her eyes. Carol leaned in, kissed her.

  
"You look ravishing," she breathed.

  
Therese smiled, obviously pleased with herself. She smelled like a dream, too. Some new fragrance, deep and mysterious, but underneath that the smell of Therese, her hair, her skin.

  
Therese's hands found Carol's hips, slipping under the blazer and rubbing against the jeans. She hooked her fingers into the belt loops, grinning up at her, twirling her body against Carol's softly.

  
"Don't get me started," Carol growled. She wanted to take her right then and there, to throw her over the coffee table and have her way with her. But they didn't have time for that, not now.

  
In the car, they settled into a comfortable silence, Carol's hand on the gearshift, Therese with her hand lightly on Carol's arm. They drank in the beautiful rolling hills, the small towns, the weathered barns falling in upon themselves. The sun was at an angle coming in the window, sending warmth across Carol's cheek, the car enclosing them, this bubble of safety where the two of them could be alone and unharried. They were traveling through time, the light and shadows of the trees overhead, suspended in the ache that was autumn. The heater warmed the car, fogging the windows slightly. Therese drew a little heart on the window in the fog.

  
They stopped at a gas station, Carol getting a coffee and Therese settling for a diet soda. They were intentionally flirtatious in front of the crusty old gas station attendant, Carol calling across the store at her, "Darling, do you want a snack for the car?" They walked out of the store together arm in arm, laughing at his visible discomfort.

  
"That should give him something to fantasize about for a while," Therese snickered, Carol relishing the feel of being far from home, anonymous, free.

  
They could go anywhere right now, could leave and never come back. How long before they would run out of money? Before they would have to drive over a cliff, Thelma and Louise style?

  
But that was silly, there was nothing to run away from, not really. It would all sort itself out, Carol knew it deep in her heart. Her papers would be finalized with Harge, and Rindy would settle into her new normal. Rindy and Therese had met briefly and that seemed to go fine, even though both of them were a little bit shy, and Therese was very familiar with some of Rindy's favorite books.

  
If only she could get them over this little bump in the road with Abby, make this all ok, make it so that she could have her two favorite adults in the room together at the same time and not end up with a battle royale.

  
As they got closer to their destination, she could feel Therese start to get anxious. Her knee was bouncing lightly. Carol placed her hand on the bouncing knee, stilling it, squeezing gently.

  
By the time they rolled into the long, sweeping driveway, the silence wasn't comfortable anymore; it was a shaken soda bottle, ready to burst.

  
"Whoa, she must be loaded," Therese said, awestruck, her eyes wide at the expansive lawns and towering brick edifice.

  
Carol chuckled, "Yeah, I guess she does quite well for herself."

  
"Maybe I picked the wrong Sugar Mama," Therese grinned, cutting her eyes at Carol, causing Carol to jab her in the ribs playfully as they both burst into giggles. Some of the tension left them then, the cap on the soda bottle opened just a crack to let some of the bubbles escape.

  
Carol pulled the mini in front of the house and cut the engine; they both took a breath.

  
"Well, are you ready?"

  
Therese nodded.

  
"She's nice, really. She won't bite. Well, unless you ask her to."

  
Therese rolled her eyes. "I just want her to think I'm worthy of you...if that makes sense."

  
"Nope, not a bit." Carol leaned and kissed her, touching her cheek.

  
Carol took her hand and led her up to the imposing front door, rang the bell.

  
In a minute Abby answered, looking fresh-faced and cheery. "Well hello there, girlies!"

  
Abby  leaned in and kissed Carol's cheeks, French style.

  
"And you must be Therese," she said, grasping her hands, slyly appraising her. "I've heard such...things about you!"

  
Carol noted how stiffly Therese hugged Abby. Abby was really putting on a show. She was dressed like a perverse Lord of the Manor, a pantsuit with an impossibly plunging neckline. Carol wondered if there was even a shirt underneath the jacket.

  
Carol looked at her over Therese's head, narrowed her eyes, a warning look. Abby winked.

  
"Come in," she said, sweeping her arm toward the interior of the house theatrically.

  
_I am going to kill her if she doesn't cut it out._   


  
Carol bared her teeth, lifted an eyebrow. Abby waggled eyebrows back at her and then turned to lead them toward the kitchen. Neutral ground.

  
Carol took Therese's hand and squeezed it gently. She could smell a pot of coffee on to brew.

  
"Mmmm, we'd love some," she said, making eyes at the coffee. Abby flitted around the kitchen, pulling large ceramic mugs off the shelf, pouring them full of the steaming hot liquid.

  
"I'll bet you like loads of cream and sugar," she said, fluttering her lashes at Therese.

  
"Black," said Therese flatly.

  
_She never drinks her coffee black. Hmmm._   


  
Carol cupped her hands around the mug, feeling the warmth seeping comfortably through the ceramic.

  
"How was your drive?"

  
"Lovely. Traffic wasn't too bad and the leaves were gorgeous," Carol said, watching Abby, whose eyes were on Therese.

  
The corner of Abby's mouth curled into a smile, and she looked back at Carol, "The leaves weren't the only thing, I'd say."

  
"No, it was gorgeous inside the car as well," Carol gave her a smile as a reward, her eyes flicking over to Therese to see her blushing and studying her coffee intently. She had warned Abby that Therese was shy, that she was struggling with their relationship - had told her to take it easy. Christ, Abby could be a jackal. But she wanted to see if Therese could hold her own, too, could hang in there and give it right back to her.

  
"Carol says you two have been friends since childhood," Therese said, lifting her eyes from her cup but not quite looking at Abby. "What was she like, when she was younger?"

  
"Ahh, she was a pistol," Abby laughed. "She was one of the quiet ones, the kind no one suspects. But then she'd lean over and whisper something to me in class that would make me bust a gut. And then I would be the one in trouble for laughing." Abby's eyes crinkled at the corners as she smiled. "She was very smart, too. Still is, of course," she said, giving Carol a wink. "She reminded me of a colt on long, wobbly legs, who had no idea that one day she would be a beautiful mare."

  
Carol blushed, "Oh hush," and saw Therese slide her eyes quickly away, chewing at her full bottom lip.

 

"Why don't you show us around a bit, maybe we could sit on the patio?" Carol said, standing, making it more of a command than a suggestion.

  
"Sure." Abby grabbed a pack of cigarettes off the counter and led them through the large dining room, the lavish parlor with modern furniture and expensive artwork on the walls. Therese spun around, admiring the art, noting the flow of the room, the colors, the light.

  
"You have good taste," she said, somewhat begrudgingly.

  
"We both do, darling," Abby said, trying to catch Therese's eye.

  
Carol held her breath.

  
_That's it, I am going to strangle her. What the hell._   


  
But, surprisingly, Therese did look at Abby then, smiled, even started to laugh.

  
"You're such a bitch," Therese laughed, after a beat, Abby laughed too.

  
"Yes, that's kind of the point. But I like you, toots." The two were giggling hysterically and Abby put her arm across Therese's shoulder, leading her out onto the patio. Carol just followed, shaking her head.

  
_Well, that's that._   


  
They sat out in the late-morning sun, warming themselves like cats. Abby tapped a cigarette out of the pack and offered it to Carol.  
Carol shook her head a little nervously, shifting her glance over to Therese.

  
Abby shrugged and lit up one for herself. Therese smirked at Carol and lifted an eyebrow.

  
They settled back in their chairs, puffs of smoke wreathing Abby's head, and they began to talk. Abby wanted to know how they had met, what Therese did for a living, how she spent her time off. The two hit it off like gangbusters, actually, and Carol was mostly silent, watching the two.

  
The relief that washed over her was visible.

  
_This is how it should be._   


  
The two woman had similar tastes in art, and they started talking about painters and sculptors Carol had never heard of and, to be honest, didn't have much interest in. When she got up to go to the restroom, the two smiled at her but didn't interrupt their conversation. Carol took her time coming back, stopping by the kitchen to refill her coffee mug. She leaned against the counter in the kitchen, smiling, content.

  
When she walked back out onto the patio she could tell the conversation had turned more serious. The two had their heads closer together, Abby was leaning forward in her chair with her brow furrowed.

  
She heard Therese say, "And then figuring out I was a lesbian was really hard. I mean, I always dreamed of having a mother that loved me. And then I found myself attracted to older women. And that was confusing, I thought maybe I was just messed up that I wanted to be with women because I had Mommy issues or something fucked up like that."

  
Abby nodded, "Oh yeah, somebody is always trying to blame it on our parental issues: either Daddy didn't love us enough, or Mommy loved us too much, or too little. It's all very convenient, the way they twist our story lines to suit their narrative. But you seem to have gotten that all figured out on your own."

  
Therese nodded. "I like what I like...and, I love who I love. And it's beautiful." Therese had noticed Carol walking back in and beamed at her.

  
Carol's heart did a happy Snoopy dance flip-flop in her chest. These two. They were priceless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought I would try an informal poll: When you are reading these stories, do you imagine yourself/identify as Therese, imagine yourself/identify as Carol, or do you just enjoy the story thinking of themselves as just THEM, like watching a movie?  
> Love to hear any comment you would like to leave, whether about my little poll or not.


	24. Best Hike Ever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The girls go for a hike and encounter something unexpected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Ligeria for the beta read - what a luxury!

Therese

  
Therese had not expected to like Abby this much, or actually, at all. Of course, she had not liked her at first. She seemed like a bitchy rich girl who always got her way, everything coming easy to her. And the snark was rolling off of her in waves.

  
But Abby was charming and funny, and underneath all the snide comments was a genuine desire to be liked, to entertain. She had a certain wisdom to her; an older, experienced lesbian who had seen and done it all. Therese felt she was like a big sister. She could see why Carol gravitated towards her, trusted her. She just didn't quite understand the power dynamic between them, or how they could do the intimate things they did without being romantically entangled. Abby didn't seem to defer to Carol, no more than you would expect between any two friends.

  
At the end of the evening, she had shown Carol and Therese to the guest room and kissed them both on the cheek good night.

  
Now in the dark they lay whispering softly, enjoying the rare treat of spending an entire night together in each other's arms. All day, Therese had looked forward to this moment, of being alone with her in the bed, of sleeping next to her.

  
She thought of Abby, down the hall, sleeping alone in her bed. A small, mean part of her felt satisfied about that, that she had won and was here with Carol, the ultimate prize. But a larger part of her felt sorry for Abby, wished her love and happiness of her own, with someone besides **her** Carol, of course.

  
She nuzzled her face against Carol's collarbone - when they lay together, she always scooted down in the bed to be lower than Carol, to be able to press her face against her chest or her breasts. She loved being the smaller one, feeling the long limbs of the taller woman envelop her and hold her close.

  
"So, what did you think?" Carol asked finally about the topic they had been circling around.

  
"She's actually really nice. And I can tell that she cares about you, very much. It's like … we bonded over that, over how much we both love you."

  
"That's sweet," Carol said carefully.

  
"But if she touches you, I mean if I saw her touch you in anything more than a friendly way, I think I might kill her." Therese growled softly, to show she meant it.

  
Carol chuckled low in her throat. "My possessive girl. I'm ashamed to admit I find that kind of hot."

  
"Mine," Therese huffed, and nipped at Carol's neck, digging her teeth in enough that she knew it would leave a visible mark.

  
Carol hissed, grabbed her hair and pulled her head back. "Careful there, sparky!"

  
Carol slipped her hand down Therese's back to dig her nails into the soft flesh of her bottom, enough to make her squirm.

  
"Do you want to see Abby's play room tomorrow? I'm sure she'd be happy to give us a tour."

  
"Yes. I've never seen anything like that. Is it scary?"

  
"No … well, at least I don't think so. I guess you'll have to decide that for yourself."

  
"If we … did something down there … would Abby want to join us?"

  
Carol tilted her head back to look at Therese in the dark. "Would you want her to?"

  
"Hmmm … I don't think so, no, not right now."

  
"Then she wouldn't. And besides, I think right now if I saw another woman touch you, I might have the same murderous instinct that you do."

  
They both laughed, and then yawned, and Carol kissed Therese on the top of the head. "Go to sleep, darling, I love you."

  
"I love you too," she said sleepily.

  
\---------------------

  
Therese awoke the next morning to sun streaming in through the blinds, the bed beside her empty. She rolled and stretched in the bed - it was so big and luxurious, the sheets all top of the line, smelling of fresh sunshine and Carol. She sprawled, taking up the entire bed, and dozed a few more minutes.

  
She woke again to a soft hand on her cheek and the beautiful voice she loved most in the world saying, "Good morning, sweetheart. Are you going to sleep the day away?"

  
She blinked, opening her eyes to her love, her heart flipping in her chest.

  
_Already it's the best day ever._

  
"I want to wake up to your face every morning."

  
Carol smiled and leaned down to kiss her cheek. She smelled like coffee and vanilla and paradise.

  
"Want to come down for some breakfast?"

  
"Mmmm, yes."

  
Abby had made cinnamon rolls from scratch. Therese smirked at her. "I never took you for the Suzy Homemaker type."

  
"Oh, I've got surprises, doll, things up my sleeve."

  
"I'll bet you do."

  
The rolls were heaven, dripping with icing and butter. Therese ate 3. She sat next to Carol on a bar stool at the kitchen counter, their hips touching.

  
Abby leaned against the counter on the other side, watching. "You lovebirds. If I didn't like you so much, you'd give me a toothache."

  
Therese was not used to being affectionate with Carol in front of someone else. It was strange and freeing at the same time. It made their relationship feel more valid, more real. She slid her hand onto Carol's knee under the counter.

  
"Tell me you fucked like bunnies last night in my guest room," Abby drawled, leaning in salaciously. Carol bawled up a napkin and threw it at her.

  
"You're terrible."

  
"I knowwww," Abby said again, proudly, while Therese blushed to the tips of her ears.

  
"Well, what do you broads wanna do today?" Abby said, clearing off the dishes.

  
"Do you always have to talk like a 1950's carnival barker?" Carol asked.

  
"Yes, always."

  
Carol turned to Therese. "What do you want to do?"

  
Therese looked out the window wistfully. "Well, it's so nice out. Could we go for a walk?"

  
"Excellent choice," Abby boomed. “There are some really great trails around, and I can pack a picnic lunch.”

  
"You can throw in some of those cinnamon rolls, if you like." Therese wiggled her eyebrows.

  
The air was crisp and clean and leaves, dappled with sun, were scattered across the trail. They hiked through the woods and up a small hill to a flat spot with an overlook. The valley below was like a postcard, dotted with fields and churches and quaint farmhouses.

  
Abby spread out a blanket and all three sat on it, facing the view, Carol in the middle. Abby was telling a story about her wild teenage years, a particularly raunchy account of getting caught in the back of a church with the minister's daughter.

  
"So then, I had stuffed her panties in my pocket as her father was coming up the stairs, but there was her bra out in plain view. She was flat-chested and could have pulled off the bra-less look, but having it out in the open like that was a dead give-away. Let's just say, I was never invited back to church services." The three were laughing outrageously and didn't hear a lone hiker coming up behind them.

  
"Ahem." Someone cleared her throat, and the 3 turned around suddenly, still laughing.

  
A solid, athletic woman was standing behind them, sunglasses and hat covering her face.

  
"Sorry, I didn't want to disturb your fun, but I didn't want you to think I was eavesdropping either."

  
"Oh no problem," Carol said, "nice day for a hike, huh?"

  
Carol glanced over to see Abby blushing to the roots of her hair. She couldn't hide a grin.

  
"Yes, it really is," the woman said, her voice warm. She was wearing expensive hiking gear, a Patagonia jacket, comfortably worn leather boots. "I'm surprised the sun is so warm."

  
She slipped off her hat to reveal a mane of strawberry blonde hair, which she ran her fingers through.

  
"Do you live around here?" Carol asked, and the two women started chatting comfortably. Therese sat eating an apple, watching them, happy just listening. She noticed, though, that Abby was being uncharacteristically quiet, and Carol must have noticed it too, because she saw Carol glance over at Abby.

  
Abby was transfixed, her mouth practically hanging open, watching the lithe redhead standing in front of them. Carol poked her in the side and noticed the look of amusement on the hiker's face.

  
"I'm Carol, this is my girlfriend," she smiled " … Therese. And this is my best friend, Abby."

  
The woman smiled broadly, taking in the group. "I'm Melissa. It's nice to encounter 'family' out in the wilderness," she said, and they all laughed.

  
Therese was glowing from hearing Carol call her "my girlfriend." She shook the woman's hand shyly when she extended it.

  
Finally, Abby found her tongue. "Would you … like to join us for a picnic? We have wine."

  
"A charming invitation if ever I heard one." The woman winked at Abby and Therese could swear she saw Abby blush!

  
The woman joined them on the blanket, sitting down near Abby, and she joined right into the conversation as if she had known them forever. Abby definitely toned down her language, choosing a much more tame tail of high school shenanigans to share with their new friend.

  
They found out Melissa was a research scientist who lived nearby and worked at the local university. She appeared to be in her early 40's, and Abby, blatantly digging for more information, discovered she was single.

  
The women enjoyed the view and the warm sunshine, sharing sandwiches of tomato, basil, and provolone that Abby had whipped up with some gourmet mayo. Carol fed Therese pieces of cinnamon roll from her fingers, and Therese licked icing from her fingers, the two giggling like honeymooners.

  
"Well, I need a little stretch after having all that food," Carol said, standing, "Therese, want to go for a little stroll with me?" she asked, shifting her eyes meaningfully at Abby and Melissa.

  
"Sure!" Therese grabbed Carol's hand and she pulled her up. The two strolled to the other side of the hill, going behind a copse of trees.

  
Carol pressed her back gently against a tree and kissed her.

  
"They make a cute couple, huh?" Therese breathed.

  
"Mmm hmmm, not as cute as us, but cute just the same." Carol smiled and kissed her more.

  
Therese felt the rough bark of the tree scratching at her back through her shirt. She wound her arms around Carol and sighed happily, tilting her face up for more kisses. She could taste the basil on Carol's tongue. Carol's long arms wound around her. She was enveloped by the tall woman who smelled of sunshine and cinnamon.

  
They made out like teenagers behind the tree, giggling and fumbling at each other through their clothes.

  
When they finally came up for air and staggered back out from behind the trees, re-arranging their clothes, they found Abby and Melissa sitting closer together on the blanket, their eyes fixed on each other, talking intently. Carol nudged Therese and they both giggled, artificially clearing their throats loudly enough to announce their arrival.

  
"Oh, hey guys, how was the hike?" Abby said, lifting her eyebrows, obviously skeptical that any hiking had actually taken place.

  
"Best hike ever," Therese said, returning her look. "Looks like you two were having your own party here."

  
Abby blushed deeply.

  
_Oh yeah, I like seeing Abby blush. How can I make that happen more often?_

  
"Yes we were," Melissa said cheerily, giving Abby a surreptitious wink. "Your friend here is quite the charmer."

Abby turned an even deeper shade of red.

  
"Oh, don't we know it," said Carol.

  
The women gathered up their picnic items and headed back down the trail, Abby and Melissa ahead of Carol and Therese, who were holding hands.

  
When they got back to the parking lot, Melissa parted from them with obvious regret. "I have an appointment I can't miss - but it was nice meeting you all."

  
"See you later." Abby smiled and Carol punched her lightly on the shoulder as Melissa got in her car.

  
"You got her number, right??"

  
"Would you expect any less? Do you think I've completely lost all my skills?" Abby grinned like an idiot and they giggled like schoolgirls as they piled into the car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment, pretty please and thank you?  
> Hey DG, how did you like your sandwich?


	25. Sorry, Not Sorry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abby gives the ladies a tour of the Fun Room, but will they stay and play?

She could feel Carol's mood shift in the car. It was hard to put her finger on it. It was just something about how she looked at her, the tone of her voice. The mushy schoolgirl faded into the background, replaced by this cool, confident woman with ice blue eyes. She and Abby talked in the front seat, and Therese sat behind Carol, feeling a little devil in her rise. She kicked the back of Carol's seat softly with her feet.

Carol shot her a look. Therese looked innocent, fluttering her lashes, but started to tap her seat again when she turned back around. If this Carol was going to show up, then another version of Therese was going to rise to meet her.

"These kids today," she huffed, pointing her thumb back over her shoulder so Abby could see. Abby laughed, still distracted and delirious from her earlier encounter.

"I think we should have a tour of the house when we get back - the full tour," Carol said, with emphasis for Therese's sake.

Abby nodded. "Yes'm, Miss Daisy."

Therese felt a shiver go down her spine. Maybe she was finally going to see Abby's "Fun Room". Her mind raced with what type of equipment would be in it, if she would see any of the furniture she had encountered in her internet searches.

Carol, ever the patient teacher, had spent some time talking to her about different types of play that people enjoyed, all the equipment that money could buy. If Abby's house was any indication, her play room would be top of the line.

During their play times so far, Therese had been an obedient girl for Carol, wanting more than anything to please her. She was happy to play the careful student, take her lead, dip her toes ever deeper into Carol's world. But she felt an odd sensation rising in her, something bubbling up to the surface. Maybe it was brought out by her smart ass interactions with Abby, or even seeing how Abby and Carol would sass at each other. It made her want to press her luck a little, to see how Carol would respond. Would Carol put her in her place?

_ Ohhh how I want her to put me in my place. _

Therese bumped the back of Carol's seat again, harder, and Carol snaked a long arm back between the seats and gave her a smart pinch to the leg.

"Owww!" Therese wailed overdramatically.

Abby quirked an eyebrow at her in the rearview mirror. "What are you up to back there, Missy?"

Therese stuck her tongue out at Abby before she could stop the impulse. Abby wrinkled her nose at her.

By the time they got back to Abby's, she was full of nervous excitement, wanting to see Carol's face, her eyes, gauge her mood. As soon as they got out of the car, she knew: Carol's eyes were smoky, her jaw set in a hard line - she looked like she could devour Therese in one bite. Therese smiled at her tentatively, but Carol just cocked an eyebrow at her, her eyes burning into her skin.

_ Oh hell, now I've done it. _

Abby led them back into the house, practically floating, oblivious.

She showed them down the stairs, Carol following closely behind Therese but not touching her. Therese could feel the hairs on the back of her neck prickle at the proximity of Carol, the heat and intensity coming off of her.

When Abby opened the door to her play room, Therese could not believe her eyes. Her mouth hung open, looking around at the beautiful wood furniture, polished to a high sheen, the beautiful leather padding in bright reds and deep purples, deep soft rugs on the floor, and a warm glow coming from the sconces on the wall.

"Wow … just … wow," she said, wide-eyed. 

Abby crossed her arms in satisfaction and watched Therese smugly. "Not bad, huh?"

Therese wheeled to look at her. "Where in the hell do you even buy all this stuff?"

"Ohh, I have my sources. And some of it was custom made." Abby walked over to stroke her fingers over a deep mahogany table topped with lush burgundy cushions. The table had rings all along the sides that could serve as attachment points, and there was a bar hanging from the ceiling directly overhead. "I saw something similar to this at a party and had the designer make one for me too. But then I had him add this little feature." Abby flicked a switch underneath and the table tilted. 

Therese was awestruck. She looked over at Carol, who was standing with her arms crossed, one foot out in front of her, leaning against the wall and watching her. When Therese turned to look at her, she caught just the hint of a smile that Carol quickly tried to hide. 

"Well, Abby, it was certainly nice for you to give Therese the grand tour. I guess we should get going," Carol said evenly, watching Therese with those steely eyes.

Therese's heart dropped. It was like being taken into a gourmet candy store and realizing your pockets were empty.

Abby's eyes were dancing, watching the two of them. "You're oh so welcome … and if you did want to stay a while, you are certainly welcome to take advantage of the amenities." She swept her arm around the room.

"Well, if only someone had behaved herself and deserved that kind of reward," Carol said, looking at Therese with mock disapproval. Therese was going to fake pout, but found that she was so crushed at the idea of leaving that her bottom lip actually quivered. She cast her eyes down at her shoes, not sure what to say.

Carol stepped over to her, her heels tapping on a stone section of floor. She slid a polished nail underneath Therese's chin and used it to slowly tilt Therese's head up to meet her eye.

"If only someone were sorry for the way she had behaved," Carol purred. "If only someone were willing to take her punishment, then perhaps we could stay."

Therese felt her heart pounding and her eyes were watering. She cut her eyes over at Abby, and Carol dug her fingernail into the underside of Therese's chin, warning her to only look at her. "Well?" she said, tapping her toe impatiently.

"I'm ... sorry?"Therese said, barely a whisper.

"What's that?" Carol asked imperiously. Therese could hear Abby snickering and it made her stomach flip.

"I'm sorry," she said a little louder, the flush of embarrassment all over her chest.

"I'm sorry … what?" Carol asked, her voice hard and her eyes boring into Therese.

_ Shit, she's going to make me say it, right here in front of Abby. _

"I'm sorry, ma'am," Therese whimpered softly. Carol took the finger out from under her chin.

"Hmmm, well yes, you certainly will be, once I'm done with you."

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Carol winking at Abby.

"Well, ladies, I think I’ll leave you to it. I have to get ready for my date."

Carol's face registered surprise. "A date?"

"Oh yeah, I’m going to pick up Melissa for dinner. Because not only did I get her number, I got her to agree to go to out with me tonight! And I have reservations at Chez Claudia."

Therese forgot her own predicament long enough to feel happy for Abby and smiled at her.

"You sly dog," Carol said and gave her a high five.

Abby wiggled her fingers at them and slipped out of the playroom door, her feet barely touching the floor.

Carol turned back to Therese and her heart started to pound again. Therese's smile slid quickly from her face.

"Did you think that was funny, kicking my seat this afternoon, young lady?"

Therese squirmed.

"Well, I did kinda think it was funny, but … now I guess it doesn't quite seem quite as funny?" Therese smiled again in spite of herself.

Carol stepped up close to her, gripped her chin in her fingers, and forced her to meet her gaze again. She could feel the heat of Carol's breath on her face. "Mmm hmmm, someone has decided to be a brat. Which is fine, as long as that brat thinks she can take the consequences."

Therese kept her mouth closed. Better to not dig this hole any deeper.

Carol nodded, acknowledging her wise decision to not respond.

Carol walked slowly around Therese, close enough that she brushed against her, her heels tapping on the floor.

"When little girls get too big for their britches, it's time to take those britches off."

She felt Carol's hand at her waistband, tugging. She reached around the front of Therese and unfastened the hiking pants she was wearing. She hooked her thumbs in the sides of the pants and peeled them slowly down until they were around Therese's ankles. Therese shifted nervously, the pants around her ankles trapping her awkwardly in place.

Carol dragged her nails across Therese's belly, then slid around and dragged them across her panty-covered bottom. "These are in my way," she complained as she hooked her fingers in them and dragged them down to Therese's ankles as well.

Therese fought the urge to cover herself with her hands, knowing Carol wouldn't like that.

Carol walked over and sat down in a large padded chair several feet away. "Take off your shirt," she said calmly. Therese complied, wondering what to do with the shirt and then just dropping it by her feet next to the pants puddled around her feet.

Carol crossed her legs, looking stern and hot as hell all at the same time. "Now your bra."

Therese stripped off her bra, feeling the cool air raise gooseflesh along her arms. Her eyes were fixated on Carol. The room had darkened around her until the whole world was only her. It was like a spotlight was fixed on her golden hair, those luscious red lips, the slate grey eyes that were coolly appraising a naked Therese.

"On your hands and knees," she said. Therese could hear just the slightest tremble in her voice, a tell.

Therese got awkwardly to her hands and knees on the cool floor, her pants hung up on her shoes, tangling her feet. She reached back as if to pull them off but Carol stopped her, shaking her head no.

"Crawl to me," she said, pointing to the floor at her feet with a single blood-red nail.

Therese crawled across the floor, the stone scraping at the heels of her hands, her knees. She felt clumsy and ridiculous and intensely turned on. She knew her bare ass was hiked up in the air as she moved towards Carol. She found herself at eye level with Carol's knee, looking up at the woman she worshipped with her whole soul.

"Are you sorry?" she said coolly.

"Yes ma'am," she said, as meekly as she could muster.

"Show me. Show me how sorry you are."

Therese looked at her, at a loss, her head spinning.

How to show her?

She butted her cheek against Carol's leg like a cat, nuzzling. She peeked up at Carol to see her reaction. Carol watched, her face impassive.

Therese took a deep, halting breath. She lowered herself to her elbows, her bare ass lifted up into the air obscenely, and lowered her face to the top of Carol's shoe. She hesitated for a moment, then pressed a kiss to the top of her shoe, murmured against it, "I'm sorry, ma'am."

She left her cheek there, against the shoe, hoping that Carol enjoyed the view of her bottom in the air. She could hear Carol's breathing above her, feel the cool air on the wetness between her legs, which was becoming more evident by the minute.

Something heaved in her chest, a breaking free; all of her will and resistance now gone. Her will was now Carol's will. The euphoria of submission swept through her body with a hum and a buzz, the blood pounding pleasantly in her ears and in her cunt. She could lay here with her cheek on Carol's shoe forever, drunk on it, if only it made Carol happy, made her pleased with Therese.

She heard the creak of the chair as Carol leaned forward, felt her fingers tangling and stroking in her hair. "Sweet girl," she whispered softly, pushing her head down for a moment with her fingers, holding her down on the floor. Then those fingers wrapped into her hair. She tightened her grip and used it to drag Therese upward, until her head was pulled up at Carol's chest level, her eyes forced up to meet the passion in Carol's eyes.

"You still need to be punished. Don't you think so?" she cocked her head, waiting for Therese's response.

"Yes ma'am," Therese breathed, struggling to keep her eyes focused and not roll back in her head.

"Get across my lap."

Clumsily, Therese climbed up and over Carol's lap, her bottom in the air, her pants still tangled around her ankles. She could feel Carol's fingers prodding and pinching lightly at her bottom cheeks, scratching her nails across them. She slid an inquiring finger in between her cheeks and touched her little rosebud that was slick with juices that had leaked down. She held her finger there. Therese could feel her arse twitch against her finger.

Her cheeks flushed with shame and she fought against herself to hold still, holding her breath.

"Pushing my buttons is pressing your luck, little one." The tip of Carol's nail scratched ever so slightly against her opening and then the finger moved away, smearing moisture on the offered cheeks.

The room spun; Therese held her breath in anticipation.

At the first smack to her derriere, Therese jumped, more from surprise than anything else. Carol popped her bottom again, lightly, a tease. Therese's arms dangled off the side of Carol's lap, reaching for the floor.

Carol started to pepper her arse with smacks, light ones mixed with harder ones, creating a canvas of warmth on her skin. The spanks were on the very bottom of her rounded cheeks, lifting them with each stroke. Carol started to alternate some spanks onto the backs of her thighs, a more sensitive spot which stung a little more. Therese started to move her hips up and down in Carol's lap, unable to keep still with the intensity of it.

She could feel her moisture leaking down between her thighs, the heat from her sex joining with the building heat in her bottom, to make her entire groin area feel as if it were set on fire.

The smacks came harder and faster. Therese moaned and shook her head, squirming and sometimes wiggling to escape the blows and sometimes pressing her ass up toward the hand that delivered pleasure and punishment all in one swift stroke. Her mind was a jumble, her body a confused mix of desire and stimulus. Through it all she could feel her clit throbbing, and when her struggles brought the heated flesh in contact with Carol's thigh, little bursts of pleasure shook her. She wanted to spread her legs wide and grind down against Carol's knee, soak her pants with her juices, plead with her to slide a finger in and press against the wanton flesh.

The spanks slowed and softened to caresses. Carol dug her fingernails into the heated flesh of her bottom, scratching at the skin and then softly sliding her fingertips across it. Therese moaned, biting her lip and gyrating her hips, inviting Carol's touch. Carol pushed her off her lap and Therese managed an ungainly dismount to the floor.

She felt Carol's hands at her feet, tugging off her shoes and pulling the pants from around her ankles. Carol pushed her onto her back and she shuddered as her punished, heated flesh came in contact with the cold floor.

Carol stood over her and slowly undressed herself, stripping down to a lacy red bra and panties. She was a goddess, all pale milky skin and glowing hair, deep red lips so full and sensuous.

Carol used her bare toes to prod gently at Therese, her hips, her thighs, emphasizing Therese's prone and helpless position on the floor.

Carol grabbed Therese's knees and wrenched her legs open, hovering over her, looking down into her moist, quivering sex. She slipped a foot between Therese's spread legs and nudged her big toe against the wet curls there, dragging it against Therese's clit lightly. Therese panted and Carol pursed her lips at her. "Little bitch in heat." Therese could feel another gush of wetness at her words, the lewdness of the touch of her toe, the utter subjugation of being at her feet in this way.

The molten hotness of her cut through the fog in Therese's brain and her mouth watered. Carol leaned over and slipped her fingers into the hair at the nape of Therese's neck and used her grip to guide Therese to sit on a padded bench.

Carol swung a leg up onto the bench and pushed her crotch near Therese's face. Therese could smell her through the fabric of her panties. She could see a small dark spot at the center of her. Carol held Therese's head so that her face was close, but not close enough to touch, taunting her with the scent of her, knowing Therese would want to see the panties pulled aside to catch a glimpse, but not allowing her that privilege.

_ The smell of her is heaven. _

"Would you like a taste of that, my little slut?" Carol said slyly.

"Ohh yes, ma'am." Therese could feel a wave of hope and hunger in her chest.

"I'll bet you would," Carol said, putting her leg down. "You'll have to earn it."

She released Therese, striding over to the table of Abby's toys and pulling velcro restraints out of a bag. She walked back over to Therese and fastened them around her ankles and wrists, then instructed her to lay face down on the bench.

Therese got into a kneeling position but with most of her body weight resting on the pad under her stomach. Carol attached each of the restraints to the bench with a carabiner; Therese was effectively rendered helpless.

Carol was on her then, with her mouth, her hands, her nails – all over her back and her buttocks. Sometimes Carol would drag her body across the back of Therese, and she would feel the scratch of her bra or the damp spot in the gusset of her panties. Carol's teeth scraped her skin, bit and nibbled at her, dug deep into her thighs and the cheeks of her ass, claiming her with her mouth, making Therese squeal and squirm and whimper.

Carol pulled a slender wooden paddle off the toy table and walked to where Therese could see her with it, brandishing it. The heat in her eyes and her wicked smile made Therese gasp with anticipation.

Carol tapped it teasingly against her own palm.

"You didn't think you were off the hook yet, did you?"

Therese shook her head.

"I want you to think of this, think of me, on our drive home tonight. I want it to be uncomfortable for you to sit, and you can reflect on what a naughty girl you've been."

Carol walked around out of her sight and she felt the wooden paddle crash into her buttock. "Bad girl," Carol hissed. She bucked on the bench as the paddle rained down on her, stinging and thudding deep into the muscle, radiating through her whole body.

_ smack smack smack _

She could hear Carol breathing heavily, pressing her hand down into the small of Therese's back as she brought the wooden implement against tender flesh over and over.

Therese's eyes grew wide, her mouth opened. It was too much too much too much –the sensation built and built.

She clawed at the base of the bench with her cuffed hands and thought of her safe word.

_ Red red RED … should I say it? Should I stop? _

And then, just when she was about to blurt out the word, she felt the oddest sensation; her body, hurtling over a cliff, flinging out into the abyss where there was no pain, just intense heat and delicious sensation, all of it radiating out to the tips of her fingers and toes. High, so high, the world was beautiful and black and flashes of light behind her eyes.

She slumped, her whole body relaxed, the blows on her ass a tender caress, a massage by the most exotic of masseuses. Therese grew wings and flew, her body lifting up and spinning around the room deliriously. She danced with Carol in the wildest, twirling dance, a whirling dervish. She giggled at the sensation of it.

Somewhere, seemingly far away, she heard Carol lay down the paddle, felt her hand on her caressing the skin. Carol came in close, her mouth against Therese's ear.

"Sweetheart," she breathed, and kissed Therese's cheek, her ear. Therese shivered, moaned, shifted against the bench to try and rub the sweet throbbing agony of her inflamed nether lips.

Carol's hands were at her restraints, releasing her. She helped her sit up; Therese was woozy, her head swimming with delirious pleasure, her brain full of honey. She leaned her face into Carol's waist, inhaling the scent of her skin, this woman who made her feel oh so much, and who she trusted with everything. Carol would take care of her, even if it hurt sometimes – Carol would always take care of her.

_ She loves me. _

"I'm sorry I was a bad girl," she slurred against Carol's skin, nuzzling her forehead against the soft skin of her belly.

Carol cupped her face in her hands, lifting her face to look at her, leaning down close into her face. Her eyes bore into Therese, and there was such love there, so much caring and passion, and also a spark of mischief. "Well, I'm not sorry you were. That was so fucking hot, you naughty little brat."

Therese felt a smile that started in the tips of her toes and radiated through her whole body – she was glowing. She had pleased Carol, the bratty little girl within her that had shown up for play time was fun for them both.

Carol gathered her into her arms, taking her over to lay on a soft velvety couch, wrapping a blanket around them both. Therese floated in her arms, suspended in a cocoon of euphoria. She could feel Carol slip her hand down between them both, playing with her own clit. Therese panted, reaching down to put her hand over the top of Carol's panties and feeling those long fingers underneath, moving in her soaked crotch.

Carol pulled down one of the cups of her bra and guided Therese's head to her nipple. "Suck, baby."

She crushed Therese against her, moaning and writhing as she touched herself – her passion radiated through Therese, smoldering inside her. Therese sucked Carol's hardened nipple for all she was worth, swirling her tongue around it, flicking it with her tongue like it was her clit.

When Carol came, shuddering, Therese pushed herself tight against her, her own frustrated clit pulsing between her legs. The feeling of it all, of knowing Carol was this turned on by their play together, of helping her to orgasm while being denied one herself, the submission and the lust swirled into a heady cocktail of pleasure and pain – this was what Therese was made for. She was made for this, to be this girl for Carol, to be her toy, her plaything, and her cherished treasure.

She laid her head against Carol's chest and could hear her heart pounding.

Carol panted, pulled her fingers out of her panties, then pressed her fingers into Therese's mouth for her to lick clean.

"I love you, darling … such a good girl for me." Carol held her so close.

Therese never knew she could be so deliriously happy and so incredibly sexually frustrated all at the same time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Ligeria for her awesome beta read.   
> Smut, smut, and more smut - what did you gals think?


	26. Sweet Surrender

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol wants to take their relationship to the next level. And a surprise is waiting for Therese back at Carol's house.

The drive home from their visit with Abby was full of quiet intensity. Just like the shifter beneath Carol's hand, Therese felt that she, too, had been shifted into a different gear by Carol. The lock on her deepest desires had been opened, and now she felt her whole self opened to Carol, eager for whatever she would do next.

And if Therese had been smitten by Carol and tossed by her every whim before, now it felt increased by 10-fold. She looked out of the darkened car window and replayed in her mind the moments after Carol had calmed down from her loud and earthy orgasm in Abby's play room. Carol had looked at her with such tender … concern, was it? Yes, concern, and a tentativeness she was not used to seeing in Carol.

Carol had caressed her cheek and looked deeply into her eyes. "Are you ok, my sweet love?" she whispered. And all Therese could say was "Oh yes," even though her mind swirled with a thousand thoughts, all things that she tried to communicate to Carol with a soulful look.

Carol looked away distractedly, and Therese could tell she was sifting through her thoughts, carefully composing how to say something to Therese, but what? What was there to say now, when everything was so perfect and the world was in its right order?

"You saw a side of me this afternoon," said Carol, her voice a little choked, "something that is strong in me, that I enjoy very much. Maybe too much?" she said, her voice rising at the end in a question.

Therese watched her, not knowing how to respond, not sure Carol even needed a response yet.

"This is who I am, darling, what I have been holding back to give you time to adjust to. I can be demanding sometimes, even cruel, and determined to bend you to my will. I yearn to have control over you, to possess you completely, to love you in my fierce and protective way. And having you over my lap, knowing you were squirming and just on the verge of breaking – it turned me on so much. I needed it from you – your submission."

Her eyes searched Therese's. "But I have to know you're ok with it, and that it's not something you just endure for me, for my pleasure.  I need to know that this is what you want too, not just a fantasy I have concocted."

Therese let out her breath slowly.

_Was this all? All that was troubling Carol now in this moment?_

Therese took Carol's hand in her own, brought her fingers to her lips and kissed the tips of them. "My darling," she breathed, "yes, of course I want it. I need it – from you, and only you. This was perfect."

And in the depths of Therese's mind, what she could not bring her mouth to form the words was:

_Every cell in my body craves to lie at your feet and worship you like the goddess that you are, as long as that is what gives you pleasure._

Now, watching the roadside reflectors in the dark flashing by, feeling Carol's warm perfumey presence in the car next to her, she replayed the look of absolute wonder in Carol's eyes. She knew then that they were meant to be together, so perfectly matched in their needs and desires. It was as if two pieces of a broken vase had been fit back together again, clicked into place, and the "games" they played together were the glue that bonded them inexorably.

Therese realized now that they were more than games – or rather, they were not games at all. They were the reality of her and Carol and of their lives together moving forward. Because now that she had a taste of Carol's control and dominance, she would always crave it and always want to feel Carol's guiding hand in her life. Deep in the pit of her, she knew Carol wanted what was best for her and would make her a better woman for it, and her obedience to Carol's will would provide for her the structure she had always wanted in her life.

But Therese did not have the words to say all of this to her, did not know how to express it. So she clung to Carol's arm in the darkened car, bent her head to nuzzle against her shoulder, had rushed to carry her bag out to the car for her when they were leaving. If she could not tell her everything, then she could show her. She would be the puppy at her heels following with love eyes, fetching whatever she tossed, lapping at her hands in gratitude. And Carol would know and understand it all.

"What are you thinking?" Carol said into the silence of the car.

"How much I love you," was all that Therese could manage.

\----------------

The headlights of Carol's car swung into the driveway and illuminated her big renovated farmhouse, which now seemed practically cozy compared to Abby's estate. Therese was giddy with pleasure – Rindy was with Harge and she had packed a bag to stay with Carol for a few days. It was like playing house.

She insisted on taking Carol's bag for her and told her she would go back out for her own. Carol opened the door and hung her keys on the hook beside it. "It feels so weird without Xena here, doesn't it? I'm going to go get her first thing in the morning, just as soon as I see you off to work." Carol winked at her.

Therese had not been able to manage more days off from work, but still, going home to Carol in the evening would make it like a mini-vacation. She trotted back out to the car for her own bag and brought it inside. Carol directed her to take it back to "our bedroom," and Therese grinned broadly, loving the sound of that. When she flicked on the light to the bedroom she stopped in her tracks, her eyes wide. On one of the bedside stands (Carol's side, she presumed) there was a brown leather belt coiled neatly. It looked like a man's belt, well worn, thick. Therese's heart did a quick thud thud and a pulse in her clit responded.

_Is this ... is Carol going to use this on me?_

Her mind flipped feverishly through images, scenarios, Carol holding the belt, Carol in those tall stiletto boots and nothing else, Carol punishing her ... no, rewarding her ... no, exploring with her.

_What the fuck, Belivet, keep it together._

She set the bag down by the other side of the bed. She felt Carol's presence in the doorway behind her and turned to look at her. The woman was watching her and Therese could feel the heat and color in her cheeks. She fixed her gaze on Carol, determined not to let her eyes wander back to the belt on the night stand.

_I will not look I will not look._

But of their own will her eyes darted quickly to glance at it, then back up to Carol. The corner of Carol's lip curled up and she winked at Therese.

Therese thought she might melt and disappear into the carpet, so much heat was coursing through her body. But as quickly as she had appeared, Carol had turned on her heel and was gone again.

Therese tiptoed to the other side of the bed and touched the belt, rubbed the pad of her index finger along the smooth ridge of it. She shuddered, pressed her thighs together, felt wetness in her mouth and in her lower lips. The ache between her legs was maddening and exhilarating at the same time; she was suspended, her mind buzzing in anticipation and she felt acutely now that these few minutes away from Carol were too many. She hurried back down the hallway to find her in the kitchen, cutting up fresh fruit.

Carol stopped and looked at her when she walked in, her knife poised over a strawberry, those red lips curving upward and a crackle in those glacial eyes.

Therese looked down at her hands, fidgeting. "Can I help?"

Carol shook her head slowly, blinked, then tilted her head in the direction of the table. Therese sat quietly and waited.

Carol slid a plate of fruit and some cheese in front of Therese, then pulled up a chair next to her, so close their knees were touching underneath the table. Carol leaned in so close that Therese could feel her breath on her cheek. She picked up a piece of fruit with those long, delicate fingers, held it teasingly, then brought it to Therese's lips, pushing the fruit and the tip of her finger into her mouth.

Therese chewed, the burst of a strawberry in her mouth, the juices tasting all the more sweet because they had been delivered by Carol’s fingers.

Carol ate a piece of the fruit herself, licking the same finger that had been in Therese's mouth. Somehow the simple gesture, when Carol did it, was so lewd that it made Therese blush.

Therese sat still in the chair, her breath coming quick and soft, being fed from Carol's fingers. She was under her spell, bewitched and transfixed, watching her lithe pink tongue flicking out from between her full red lips. She gripped the chair beneath her to steady herself as if on a boat, the waves of her desire crashing into her and listing her sideways.

When Carol was quiet it was always so unnerving – the things her eyes said to Therese, the way her eyes undressed her, took her to bed, and fucked her hard – without Carol ever having to lift a finger. Carol's naked desire for her was a tempestuous thing, a beast barely restrained, and it roared behind the mask of her face and arched up into her eyes, lifting its back and bristling.

When the plate was empty, Carol got up from the table, went to the sink and rinsed it. Therese watched her hips sway, her buttocks flexing beneath the tight pants as she walked. She felt a tether between them and it stretched painfully whenever Carol was out of arm’s reach.

Carol walked out into the living room and Therese was unsure for a moment whether to follow or not. She hadn't been told to stay, and since every part of her ached to be near Carol, she went to the living room as well.

Carol was sitting on the couch, waiting for her, watching her with curiosity. Therese stood awkwardly near the big stuffed chair in the room, her hand stroking along the top of it, chewing her lip and pondering her next move.

_If Carol would just tell me what to do right now, tell me what she wanted, it would be so much easier._

But Carol sat like a sphynx, silent and mysterious.

In the absence of knowing what Carol wanted, Therese decided to give in to her own desires.

She walked timidly over to stand in front of Carol, then knelt at her feet. She sat back on her haunches and curled her feet underneath her, leaning her forehead against the side of Carol's knee and closing her eyes. Her hand wrapped around Carol's slender ankle and she was still, breathing her in.

After a moment, she could feel Carol's fingers in her hair, combing through the tangles. She sighed softly and purred like a kitten. They stayed that way for a while, both breathing deeply, contentedly. She could feel Carol relaxed against her, her whole body still except for the hand that roved over Therese's head, through her hair, touching the tops of her ears, her cheek, the back of her neck. The only sound in the room was their breathing and the solemn tick of a clock on the mantle. It was the only way Therese knew that time was actually passing and that they had not been suspended somehow in this moment, a moment that could go on forever as long as they both kept breathing.

Carol pulled her hand away and Therese felt her shift on the couch. She heard Carol clear her throat softly, as if an actual word would be too harsh of a breach in their sweet silence.

"Do you remember the note I left on the kitchen counter beside Xena's leash?"

Therese cocked her head, looking up at Carol, not sure at all where this was going.

She blinked her eyes to focus. "You mean, where you said those things were for the dog?"

Carol smiled warmly at her. "Yes."

Therese remembered her smart ass reply to the note, how she had written it hastily – and angrily. She felt embarrassed at the memory.

Carol must have noticed her look of discomfort. "I'm not trying to rehash a bad memory, darling. I'm trying to tell you something." She paused. "I guess I was trying to tell you something then, too."

Carol slid her warm, soft hand to the brunette’s cheek, cupping it, tilting her face up to look at her.

In her fingers she held a beautiful scarlet and black collar, the leather intricately carved with vines and leaves, with a delicate silver ring in the center of it the size of a silver dollar.

"This one is for you, if you'll have it."

Therese looked at her questioningly, wondering why Carol thought she might not want this gift from her. It was so pretty!

"Do you know what it means, a collar?" Carol asked her, still cupping her cheek.

"No ma'am, I guess not," said Therese softly.

"It means you belong to me. It’s a commitment," Carol said, her eyes holding steady on Therese's face. "And that you will obey me, and trust me to make some decisions for you." Carol's face flushed, and she rushed on. "I don't expect to control every aspect of your life. I don't want to dictate to you who your friends are, or your career, or ... lots of things. But there are certain things I would want you to submit to me about. We would negotiate about it. And of course, you will always have your safeword."

Therese chewed at her lower lip, watching Carol's face, which seemed strained.

"Carol," she whispered, the sound of her name on her lips still the sweetest thing she could imagine, "Carol. I already belong to you."

"Yes, but maybe it is too soon to ask you this. Maybe you don't even know what I'm asking."

Her words hung in the air between them, so thick they were almost visible.

"I know what you're asking, and the answer is yes. I will always say yes to you."

Relief washed over Carol's face, and she reached down to Therese and pulled her up beside her. She cradled her head in her hands and kissed Therese deeply and passionately.

When Carol buckled the beautiful collar around her neck, Therese was beside herself with joy and pride. She belonged to Carol. She could feel Carol's fingers trembling as she straightened the collar on her neck. There were tears in her eyes.

"My sweet angel," she said, "my beautiful girl."

That night in bed, Therese lay awake for a long time, listening to Carol's breathing, nuzzling next to her warm sleepy body, and feeling the collar around her neck like a caress. She had begged Carol to let her keep it on, just for the night, and Carol could not deny her girl that.

She could, however, deny Therese an orgasm, which she did with a devilish smile.

"I want you ready for me. I want you to think of me all day tomorrow while you're at work. I want you to burn for me. And when you get home, then we will see if you're allowed to cum."

Therese thought of the belt coiled on the nightstand. Her pussy throbbed with every beat of her heart.

Carol turned over in her sleep and wrapped her arms lazily around Therese, pulling her close.

At long last, Therese slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big step in their relationship! Woo hoo, go ladies!  
> Comments welcome.  
> Thanks to Ligeria, not only for the beta read but for helping me work through my angst. You're awesome!


	27. Mind Fuck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol anticipates when Therese will come home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Could be a dangerous one to read at work or with your Mom in the room, but probably ok for a commute on the train.  
> What say ye, ladies? Read, enjoy, comment.

Carol 

The day was dragging. Carol was restless, incessantly looking at the clock on the mantle, convinced it was broken, like the hands had been dipped in molasses and were dripping slowly around the face of the clock.

Being away from her girl was torment. She wanted her hands on her at every moment. It was in Carol's nature to play it cool, be aloof. But something about Therese unhinged everything that was cool about her.

And waking up with her in the bed this morning, in HER bed, in her house – it was heaven. It felt as if things were in their proper place and as it should be. She should wake up to Therese every morning, be able to roll over and touch her in her sleep whenever she wished.

On this morning, she had gotten up and cooked her breakfast, allowing her a few extra minutes to sleep in before getting dressed for work.

_How domestic I am all of a sudden. Who the hell am I?_

Carol had laughed as she stood at the stove, scrambling eggs. Taking care of Therese had given her new purpose, and a joy that she had never felt at taking care of her family this way. Because taking care of her husband and child had always felt like an obligation, something she had no choice in. But to Therese, she gave freely, because she wanted to, because it made her happy to nurture this girl, wrap her in love, and gently touch the broken places inside of her.

_OK, I want to touch other places inside of her too. I can't help it._

She walked back to her bedroom and looked at the belt coiled there. Her insides were coiled like the belt, full of nervous anticipation. To take Therese into this dark fantasy that she had harbored was exciting and scary at the same time. What if it triggered something in her and it went horribly wrong? What if Therese flashed back and saw her as her attacker, her abuser? She would have to be careful here, to guide her through and make sure she was ok. And if at any point it got too much – well, they would stop.

But ohh if it went well – to give her precious girl what she desired, to fulfill her fantasy. It would be ecstasy – and maybe it would exorcise some demons for Therese as well.

She picked up the belt and took it into the living room and set it on the coffee table. It was part of the game, to have her see the belt and anticipate it. To leave it unspoken, but to know that Carol had moved it, that she was putting it in front of her face.

_Oh how I love a good mindfuck._

The scene that she had planned for the night kept shifting in her mind – how she would position Therese, what she would say to her, what she might wear to set the mood. It was Carol's private performance for one. She was the author, the director, and the set designer, and Therese was all at once an actor in the play and her sole audience member. And the trick of it all was to make it seem effortless, to make Therese feel she was the only one who had been twisted with lust over this all day, and that Carol had been about her business, barely thinking of the evening. Carol looked in the mirror, practicing her best calm, unmoving mask – but that twinkle in her eyes was a tell. Damn, she was a poker player who had a royal flush in her hands, no doubt.

The thrill of it was almost too much to contain; she wanted to run outside and fling herself into the dry leaves and roll around in the sunshine. She was gloriously, overwhelmingly in love, and never had she felt so totally accepted and loved in return for who she genuinely was. To be understood was everything, and it took every bit of her reserved upbringing to control herself in front of the sweet, luscious young thing and not gush over her every moment of the day.

And if the day hadn't already been full of happy thoughts, she had gotten a phone call with a job offer. A place where she really wanted to work, and the people at the interview had been warm and friendly. Tonight would indeed be a celebration – she couldn't wait to share the news with Therese.

She took the package she had gotten this morning at Frankenburg's back to the bedroom. She pulled out an adorable pleated plaid skirt and a crisp white button-down blouse with long sleeves. To top off the outfit, she had some lacy socks that turned down at the ankles, and a black pair of patent leather Mary Janes. She laid them all out on the bed, arranging the clothes carefully. She shivered in anticipation as she fingered the material.

As it had gotten closer to the time for Therese to get home, she had put on a simple black pencil skirt and grey blouse, with calf-length boots, looking like she was ready for a business meeting. She'd pulled her hair back to give her a more severe look and applied dark eyeliner and shadow around her eyes and deep burgundy lip gloss.

When Xena alerted her to Therese's arrival with a happy bark and a wag of her tail, Carol's heart leaped with joy. She ran her fingers through the dog's mane and went to the door, standing there waiting for her love.

Therese didn't even have a chance to knock before Carol opened the door. Carol grabbed her and dragged her inside to kiss her.

_So much for being reserved._

She could feel Therese quivering in her arms, the heat radiating from her skin and giving Carol a reciprocal flush of warmth.

"I missed you, darling," Carol said as she crushed her lips against Therese's, enveloping her with her long arms, feeling the smaller woman raise on her tiptoes to meet her.

"Mmm, I missed you too,” Therese said after they had broken off the kiss, nuzzling her face in Carol's chest.

Carol took her hands and led her into the kitchen. "I can't wait to tell you my news!"

"What?" Therese said, eyes sparkling.

"I got a job! I start a week from Monday!"

Carol excitedly told Therese all about her new position while she fixed her a glass of iced tea. She could tell how genuinely happy Therese was for her. She noticed Therese look at the iced tea skeptically. "What, no champagne? This deserves a celebration!"

Carol laughed and brushed Therese's bangs back out of her face. "Oh, it will be a celebration all right, my dear, but the kind of party we are having does not mix well with alcohol."

She smiled with satisfaction as she noticed the younger woman blush. "Come on, let's go sit and relax a bit. You're probably tired from working all day."

She took her dark haired beauty's hand and led her in to sit on the couch. She watched her face just enough to see her register the belt on the coffee table, her features plainly telegraphing excitement and desire. Carol pointedly ignored it all and peppered Therese with questions about how her day went.

Therese was distracted and had trouble answering the questions, which Carol enjoyed immensely. And also, it gave her an excuse to be stern with Therese, to start up their little drama and push her buttons a little.

"Therese," Carol said, the tone of her voice forcing the younger woman's eyes to hers.

"Yes?"

"You seem very distracted. You're not at all paying attention to me."

"Oh. I'm sorry, I ..." her voice trailed off.

"Young lady, when I ask you a question, I expect your complete attention and answers in complete sentences." She raised an eyebrow at Therese and made her tone extra steely. She noted the rise in color to her cheeks, the way she squirmed and flexed her toes.

"I'm sorry … ma'am," she said, and Carol knew from her use of "ma'am" in the response that she had picked up Carol's cue, that the game was now starting.

"I think you should bring me your collar, maybe that will give you focus and remind you how to treat me with respect."

Therese nodded, chewing at her lip, and hurried back to the bedroom to retrieve her collar. When she came back into the room, Carol could see the look of curiosity on her face, and she couldn't suppress a smile.

Therese knelt in front of her and held the collar up for Carol. Carol took it and buckled it around her neck, lifting her hair up and away before securing it. Carol ran her fingers around the edges of the collar, tickling her neck.

"Did you want to ask me something?"

"Yes ma'am - what are those clothes that are on the bed?" Therese's voice trembled as she asked.

"Those are for you, my little girl." Carol could feel a gush of wetness between her own thighs, talking to Therese this way, touching her, having the young woman at her feet and vulnerable with her collar around her neck. She lifted Therese's chin to look at her face and see her response.

Therese was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling quickly. Her tongue flicked out to moisten her lips, a gesture that Carol found so incredibly sexy. She wanted that little pink tongue on her right now, but she held back, drawing out the tension and excitement for them both.

Carol could see the sexual frustration in Therese who was wiggling her toes frantically, her eyes a hollow well of raw lust. How easy it would be to just succumb, to give in to what they both so desperately wanted at that moment. But giving in to Therese now, allowing her to finally have the orgasm she was craving, would be the pin that popped the balloon. If she let her have release now, she would not be able to carry out the scene she had planned for the evening. Therese would be too tender and sensitive after an orgasm to be able to withstand a rough play session, so she held out for them both and enjoyed the high of their mutual frustration.

She found her voice – it sounded low and thick in her own ears. "Go and put on the clothes I bought for you."

When Therese returned to the living room, the sight before Carol literally took her breath away – she found herself unable to take air into her lungs for a moment. She was transformed, looking much younger and more innocent, the hem of the plaid skirt riding high up on her thighs, the white shirt clinging to her. When Carol looked more closely, she could see the girl was not wearing a bra, and the points of her dark nipples strained against the white fabric. Therese had also found a dark headband somewhere, which pulled her hair back away from her face and added to her youthful appearance.

As Carol looked her up and down, admiring her, she noticed something else as well. There was a brashness and boldness about the girl standing in front of her. She had expected a more shy and timid schoolgirl, but the Therese before her was looking at her with a cocky air of confidence. Her eyes sparkled, and she coyly fluttered her lashes at Carol and crossed one Mary Jane clad foot over the other. This little imp was flirting with her!

Carol's mouth went dry and her heart shifted into another gear. She had laid her cards on the table, and Therese had seen her bet and raised her one. She saw Therese's eyes stray to the belt on the table, and the girl unconsciously licked her lips.

_Oh she wants this._

Carol turned her eyes to it too, finally letting Therese see her acknowledge the belt.

"Do you think you deserve that, baby? Have you been a bad girl?" Carol could barely get a whole sentence out in one breath.

Therese nodded, her eyes darkening; a challenge.

"Tell me. Tell me why you deserve it."

Therese's voice came out small and thin and high, at odds with the brash image her posture presented. "I was distracted when you asked me questions, I wasn't paying good attention, and ..."

"And?" Carol raised her eyebrows.

"Today at work, I was distracted too. My … my parts were tingling so much. And I was having naughty thoughts." At this, the corner of Therese's mouth curled into a smile.

God, it was going to take every ounce of Carol's willpower not to just take her now, to push her down over the arm of the couch, yank her panties down, and push her fingers inside her. She gritted her teeth and narrowed her eyes.

Watching Therese, she could tell the girl knew the power she held over her, the intense desire that she created. She was pushing at her, toying with her, scoring plenty of points of her own in this little game they played.

Carol stood, regaining her sense of control by towering over the shorter woman. She stood close to her, breathing in the sweet perfume of her skin and hair. She reached a manicured nail to the center of Therese's back, just at the top below the collar of her shirt. She pressed the nail in gently and dragged it down the center of her spine, causing her to shiver.

The tall blonde put her mouth close to Therese's ear. "You didn't touch yourself today, did you?"

"No! Of course not!"

"I think you mean 'No, ma'am,' and I'll be the judge of that."

She slid her hand down Therese's thigh, below the hem of the skirt, and started to move it back up the naked skin. When she got all the way up to her hip, she gasped. This little tease was not wearing any underwear!

Carol feigned shock. "Therese Belivet, I cannot believe you are not wearing panties!!"

Therese wiggled her bottom against the warm hand there. "Well, you didn't have any laid out for me, so I thought I wasn't supposed to wear any."

"Are you sassing me, young lady?"

Therese looked up at her boldly, but when Carol narrowed her eyes at her, the woman looked away, some of the wind taken out of her sails.

"No, ma'am," she said, a little more quietly.

"No? Then are you calling me a liar? Because I definitely think you were sassing me."

"No, I mean yes, I mean ..." Therese just stopped, not even sure what to say. But Carol had her caught now in her little trap and there was no way out.

Carol leaned down and picked the belt up off the coffee table, then grabbed the smaller woman by the upper arm, digging her fingers into the flesh there and marching her down the hallway towards the bedroom.

"We'll see how much sass you have left in you when I'm done with you, Miss Brat. You need to be put in your place."

Therese whimpered softly, struggling a little against Carol's grip. Carol pushed her backwards onto the bed.

"Spread your legs. I want to check if you've been obedient."

Therese's skirt had flown up when Carol pushed her onto the bed, and her panty-less loins were revealed. She spread her legs in a lewd display for Carol. Carol leaned down and swept her fingers through the dark curls there, and Therese stifled a moan.

Carol brought a glistening finger up into the light. "If you didn't touch yourself, then why are you all wet down there?"

"I couldn't help it," Therese whined, "you made me like that, but I didn't touch, I promise."

"Oh, so this is my fault?" Carol asked, holding the finger in front of Therese's face.

Therese shook her head, her eyes wide, and Carol looked away for a moment so the girl wouldn't see her smile. She had her back on her heels now, off kilter and in full retreat. Carol had regained the upper hand, and she had no intention of letting it go now.

Carol wiped her finger on the front of the white shirt, making a face.

"Turn over," she said, grim-faced.

The small woman turned over slowly, and Carol reached down to flip her skirt up over her back, revealing a tight, pert ass, the creamy globes clenching nervously.

Now that Therese no longer had her eyes on her, she could just step back and admire the work of art before her.

_You could bounce a quarter off that ass._

She dragged her palm across the pale, soft skin, the tiny translucent hairs rising to her touch. She felt completely wicked, lecherous ... delighted.

She picked the belt up off the bed, shaking it enough that the buckle would rattle. Therese turned to look over her shoulder.

"Turn around," Carol barked.

She dragged the cold buckle across the backs of her thighs, up her crack.

She cradled one of the firm young buttocks in her hand and squeezed it, digging her fingernails in enough to leave 5 red crescents across its surface. Therese squealed into the comforter.

Carol swatted her bottom with a loud pop and watched the skin quiver beneath her assault.

She dragged the leather end of the belt down the backs of her legs, down over the lacey white socks.

"You shouldn't wear shoes on the bed," Carol growled and pulled the shoes off her feet. She scraped a nail down the center of each foot, smirking to herself as the girl twitched.

Carol stood back, holding the belt. She felt the slightest twinge of anxiety and shook it off, taking a deep breath.

She knelt up on the bed over her, reaching her fingers into the mane of dark hair and gripping, pulling her head back enough to make the girl gasp. She leaned down and pressed her lips against her ear. "I'm doing this for your own good," she said, low in her throat. "You've forced me to do this. I have to discipline you."

And with those words, it was like a bomb went off in Carol's head, a flip of the switch, and something within her growled and shook its head, pushed its dusky head out of the darkness with eyes glinting.

"No, please no," Therese protested weakly.

Carol released her hair and moved down to the foot of the bed, folding the thick worn belt in half. The buckle jangled.

Lazily, she lifted it and let it fall on the back of the girl's thighs.

_Thwack._

Therese jumped dramatically.

Carol flipped the belt again, light little smacks along the crest of her buttocks. Little kisses of the leather along her skin. She held back and felt the intensity inside her grow.

She reached for the hem of Therese's shirt and jerked at it, suddenly frustrated.

"Take this off," she hissed.

Therese pushed up off her belly and quickly shed the shirt. Carol could see the side of her breast, the dark point of a nipple. She put her hand in the center of the brunette's back and shoved her face down into the bed again.

She lifted the belt again, let it fall with a more definitive smack on the proffered butt cheek. With satisfaction, she saw a little pink rise to the surface.

Carol's chest filled with air and lightness and a pleasant hum set up in her ears. She started to paint the canvas before her with pink stripes, the backs of her thighs, the firm swell of her buttocks. The first time she laid the belt across Therese's shoulders, she jumped again. Carol pushed her down again with a firm hand between her shoulder blades. She alternated between her upper back, her buttocks, and her thighs – all the places with thick large muscles underneath the skin, carefully avoiding her lower back and the tender skin of her sides.

The belt licked and lapped at her skin, making the young woman writhe on the bed, not sure where to expect the next strike.

"I'll teach you to be good," Carol growled, making her voice sound menacing. "You be still and take your punishment."

Carol was panting now, partially from the exertion but more from the excitement. She leaned down close to Therese's head, turned her face so that she could look into her eyes, checking on her.

She was there, still there with her, she could see it. She licked her lips almost drowsily, and Carol could see liquid desire in the pools of her hazel eyes.

"Who's my naughty girl?" she breathed.

"I am," Therese whispered.

Carol knelt back up and started in on her again with the belt, reaching her hand down to caress the pink skin, feel it heating up under her hand.

She reached between the girl's legs, gasping at the river of wetness there, and found the swollen nub of her clit. She twirled it between her thumb and forefinger, and Therese moved her hips on the bed and moaned.

Carol pinched the torrid meat between her fingers, holding on to the stiffness as she brought the belt back down on the globes of her ass. She massaged her clit while hitting her with the belt, and Therese's hips bucked up and down, whether to escape the belt or meet the probing fingers she wasn't sure.

She was breathing hard and moaning, a strange mixture of "Oh no please" and "Oh yes yes yessss" tumbling from her lips.

It did not take long before Carol sensed she was nearing her peak, the days of continuous arousal and denial making her so sensitive that she was ready to explode at the slightest provocation.

Carol threw the belt down on the floor, withdrew her fingers and heard a whimper of deep regret from Therese.

"Roll over," she husked, and Therese did swiftly, wincing as her heated skin came in contact with the comforter. Her eyes were wild with desire, and she rolled her hips, desperate for the relief only Carol could give her.

Carol climbed on top of her, pressing her body to the full length of the girl, entangling her in her arms and possessing her lips with her own. She fucked her mouth with her tongue, drank her in, biting gently at her lower lip.

Impatiently, she reached down to unfasten her own skirt and shove it down her hips and legs. She brought a firm, muscular thigh between Therese's leg, pressing it into her wetness.

So wet and hot, Carol's leg was coated with juices, and as it slipped and slid along her swollen labia, Therese lifted her hips up to grind back against it.

She recaptured her mouth, teasing and flicking with her tongue, kissing around to her cheek, biting at her neck, her hot breath in Therese's ear.

Therese was whimpering and moaning, the most erotic noises that Carol had ever heard. She rocked her girl in her arms, showering her in bites and kisses, her leg pressed up and up in a steady rhythm. Suddenly, Therese froze in her arms, threw her head back, her mouth opened in a noiseless gasp – her entire body quaked and Carol held on to her, pressing her knee up into the wet folds that crashed against her. A strangled cry ripped from her throat, and she bucked in a paroxysm of pleasure.

Carol held onto her tightly, riding out the pleasure with her, peppering her cheek with kisses and cooing softly to her as the twitches subsided.

"Ohh my darling, my sweet girl," she purred.

It was a long time before Therese could even bring herself to respond. Weakly, she wound her arms around Carol's neck, finding her soft blonde curls with her fingers and twirling them.

Carol smiled down into her face, kissing the tip of her nose.

"I can't believe that was even better than my fantasy," she croaked.

Carol laughed a warm, throaty laugh, sliding her soaked thigh out from between the girl's legs. She rolled off the bed and stood to finish taking her clothes off, suddenly aware of how overdressed she was for this occasion. Then she removed Therese's skirt.

_But I'm leaving on those damn socks. Fuck, those are cute_ . 

She climbed back into bed with Therese, luxuriating in the feel of their warm skin pressing together.

When Therese seemed sufficiently recovered, Carol gripped her face in her hand and looked into her eyes.

"Now it's my turn, little love. Thank me for your punishment."

Carol stretched like a cat and purred as the young woman slid eagerly down her body and between her legs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey you - yeah you - your ass is inspirational.


	28. Playing House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time skip of 2 months and the ladies are playing house with Rindy. Domestic fluff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short one this time. Totally safe to read wherever. Unless you have a dishwashing/rubber gloves fetish. In that case, read at your own risk.

Carol was teaching Therese how to cook. She had been appalled to find out that Therese could barely scramble an egg, much less cook an entire meal. But she guessed it made sense once Therese explained that none of the foster families had ever really allowed her in the kitchen, except to have her wash dishes and chop vegetables. 

Carol was discovering there were a lot of basic life skills that Therese struggled with, just because no one had bothered to show her how to make a budget, or properly do laundry, or even sew on a button. She had taken on the role of teacher with gusto, even though Therese could be a grudging student at times. Overall, though, she seemed grateful, and all it took was a little praise and encouragement from Carol to keep her motivated. She was definitely making progress.

Tonight they were making a simple chicken and rice dish, with canned cream of mushroom soup poured over the top before it was baked in the oven. Therese was cleaning and cutting up broccoli to put in the steamer basket. She hummed softly as she worked, wearing one of Carol's aprons that hung long and loose on her small frame. 

"Hey, how did your presentation go today?" she asked.

Carol grinned. "Fabulous! Thanks to the help I had from a certain graphics whiz. I am almost positive they'll be putting in an order for a complete sound system."

"Awesome! But I'm sure it was more the presenter than the presentation. Who could say no to you?  What's the saying … 'you could sell ice to an eskimo.'"

Carol kissed her on the cheek. "Flattery will get you everywhere, my dear."

Carol had been in her new job selling custom high-end audio equipment to commercial venues for about 2 months. In that time, she had quickly found out that her hiatus from the workforce to be a stay at home mom had left her behind the technology wave. Luckily, Therese was just as patient and apt a tutor in that arena as Carol was in the domestic one. She had spent many hours with Carol on her work laptop, helping her be efficient with her email and assisting her with enhancing her sales presentations to better showcase the benefits of the product. 

And their work together was paying off – already Carol was exceeding quota expectations and on her way to being the top salesperson in the small company. This meant Carol was finally drawing her own decent paycheck, and didn't feel quite so desperate if Harge was late with a child support payment, which happened more often than not.

Therese had just turned the burner on under the steamer pot when they heard Rindy run into the house. She poked her head into the kitchen. "Hi Mom! Hi T!" she said cheerily.

Therese waved, and Carol said warmly, "Hi baby, how was your day?"

"It was pretty great! Mrs. Paulson was sick, so we had a substitute for Biology class and she was so clueless. We convinced her that we always have a Friday Biology walk outside to identify specimens, so then we didn't have to finish our labs. And then glee club practice was really cool – we started learning a new song and I picked it up faster than any of the other altos."

"That's nice. When is the concert? I need to get that on calendar."

"Umm, it's like February 2nd or something. I’ll double check tomorrow and let you know." Rindy cut her eyes over at Therese. "Hey T, are you coming?"

Carol could see Therese blush deeply, and the young woman responded quietly, "Yes, sure," then looked uncertainly over at Carol, checking to make sure she was ok with it. "I mean, if you'd like that."

"Yeah, that'd be cool. I want you to meet my friend Rob. He's into drawing like you are."

"That sounds fun," Therese said and smiled shyly.

Carol's heart fluttered in her chest, so happy to watch the two of them get along, but also full of pride at how well Rindy had handled their relationship. When Carol had first sat down with her to reveal her "big news," Rindy had been completely blase. 

"Well duh, Mom, she's over here all the time. And I see you looking at each other too. I'm not stupid."

Carol's mouth had hung open in shock. "So you knew. And ... you're ok with it?"

"Yeah," Rindy shrugged, "some of the girls at school even think it's cool. And I can tell it makes you happy, and ...I know you were sad for a long time."

Carol nodded, amazed at the wise and perceptive young lady who sat in front of her. She hugged her and kissed her on top of the head.

Now, with the three of them in the kitchen together, it felt like domestic perfection. Carol put Rindy to work setting the table, and she poured some wine for the adults and iced tea for her daughter. 

Therese was so attentive with Rindy – the two of them could go off on wild conversations that bored Carol to tears. She could care less about anime or graphic arts or the Marvel universe, but the conversations were so thrilling to those 2 and brought them closer together, so she tried to keep the eye rolling and sighing to a minimum when they went off on a tangent. Instead, she usually just watched the 2 of them, blocking out the words and enjoying the sound of their voices, their animated faces, counting her blessings fiercely and possessively.

After dinner, they cleared the table and Rindy flopped in the living room to watch Netflix. Carol washed the dishes and Therese dried them and put them away. It was quiet in a comfortable way, neither of them speaking much, the gentle clink of the glassware making its own conversation. Xena was making rounds through the kitchen, her toenails clicking on the hardwoods. Every now and again, Therese put her hand on Carol's hip and squeezed gently; they were still like teenagers, having a hard time keeping their hands off each other. 

Since Carol didn't want them showing physical affection in front of Rindy, they had behaved themselves during dinner. But now that Rindy was out of sight, Carol enjoyed the feel of Therese's hand on her. Her only regret was that her own hands were in gloves and wrist deep in soapy water so that she couldn't return the touches. 

As Therese dried a plate, she broached the subject of Rindy's concert. "Are you sure it won't bother you if I go?"

"No, why would it?" Carol asked, confused.

"Well, you know … people might talk. I mean, I don't care. People know I'm a lesbian. But you … "

Carol hadn't thought about it. Not for a moment. But now she did. Did she care? Was she ready to be publically out?

She turned to look at Therese. "Do you think people will be nasty? Or that Rindy's classmates will say hurtful things to her?"

Therese shrugged. "Hard to know. It's a fairly liberal area we are in, and I don't really run into any problems at work. But you know how kids are – they can be brutal."

"Hmmm." Carol considered the consequences. "Well, I guess Rindy wouldn't have asked you if she didn't feel like she could handle that. She wants you there. And if Rindy can be brave, well, so can I."

Therese nodded, a radiant smile on her face. 

"What are you smiling about?"

"Being in public with you. Showing you off. That you're mine."

Carol chuckled. "You, Therese Belivet, are a hopeless romantic."


	29. Save Me a Seat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol and Therese attend Rindy's school concert, and it turns out to be more than Carol bargained for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Ligeria for the super fast beta reads, and thanks to my muse, for helping me find my way in this story.

The gym was already packed when Carol and Therese walked in. It had that smell that all gyms have – floor varnish, cleaning solution, and underneath that, teen sweat and stale musty curtains. The concert band was setting up on a section of the gym floor, and the risers for the glee club were up on the stage. 

Carol was very conscious of Therese beside her as she scanned the crowd for faces she might know. She wasn't sure if she wanted to see anyone or not, but they were here now and there was no use being a chicken at this point. They saw a couple of seats together and headed towards them, but Therese tugged at her sleeve. "Hey, I probably should hit the ladies room really quick. This looks like it will take a while."

"Good idea," Carol said, and pointed to a far corner, "restrooms are over there. I'll save our seats."

Therese headed off and Carol settled into the hard metal chair, putting her purse and coat on the seat beside her. She scanned the crowd again, looking at them all through a different lens than she had in the past. She wondered idly how many of these parents were divorced, and how many were in same-sex relationships. She speculated about the women and men she saw, wondering if she could tell just by looking at them. She had lived her whole adult life as part of the white, upper-class, privileged, and married class. Now she felt a little alien, a little unsure if she belonged here, and she had the unsettling thought that maybe she looked different now. Maybe she had a secret look, the mark of "one of them," and others would be able to spot her now. The thought both thrilled and terrified her.

She was startled from her musings by a booming, familiar voice, mixed simultaneously with an oily wave of cologne. "Carol! I thought I'd never find you in this crowd! So good to see you – thanks for saving me a seat!"

_ Harge. _

She looked up at him wide-eyed, trying not to register her shock and dismay. "Oh, hi there," she said, smoothing her hair, "actually, I'm sorry, this seat is … taken."

Harge's face darkened. "Who are you here with?"

Just as Carol was about to speak, Therese came back from the restroom. Harge followed her gaze back over his shoulder and snarled when he saw Therese. Harge turned on Carol again, but his eyes were darting around at the seats nearby, knowing that eyes and ears were taking in the scene. 

He leaned in close to Carol, his voice a menacing whisper. "You think you can humiliate me like this in public and get away with it?" His face was deep purple with rage.

"Harge, this is not about ..."

"No," Harge interrupted, his voice still low. "We are not discussing this here. But I have something to show you that will change your mind about this behavior of yours. I won't be made a fool of." And with that, he turned on his heel and stormed off. 

Carol felt her stomach pitch and roll as the gym darkened for the concert to begin. Therese in the seat next to her was a small comfort. She leaned against her in the dark, pressed her thigh against her. 

Therese leaned over. "Is everything ok?"

Carol nodded and whispered quietly, "Just Harge being a dick. It's nothing."

By the time the glee club and a radiant Rindy took the stage, Carol had started to relax. She was awestruck by her daughter, her coltish beauty and her enthusiasm as she sung her heart out. As they watched the group perform, Therese brushed the side of her hand against Carol's and leaned over to whisper in her ear, "They're really good!"

Carol nodded, unable to stop the goofy grin on her face. 

_ I made her, and she is perfect. _

Carol leaned back in her seat and drank it all in, the warmth and companionship of Therese beside her adding to the pleasure of that moment. When the lights came back up in the gym and the concert was over, she felt it was too soon – although her aching rear in the hard seat begged to differ.

In the loud chatter of the crowd milling about the gym, Rindy came and found them. 

"Hi!"

"That was amazing, darling!" Carol beamed.

"Yeah, very cool!" Therese said. "You guys really had the 4-part harmony nailed!"

Rindy smiled, her face flushed with excitement. "Thanks! C'mon T, I want you to meet Rob." She grabbed Therese's hand and dragged her through the crowd and Carol stood there watching the two of them recede. 

Carol stood for a moment, at a loss, the crowd swirling around her. Inexplicably, she felt a sharp pang of emptiness and despair. She could barely see the tops of their heads now, way off in a far corner of the gym. She scanned the room looking for Harge, wanting to make sure he didn't surprise her again, but he was nowhere in sight. It was a room full of bright lights and strangers' faces, family groups huddled together, kids running and laughing. The noise and the chaos rose like a wave, too many things to take in and nothing of importance. 

She could kill a few minutes by going to the ladies room, she knew. She made her way towards it, turning sideways to slide between groups of people. Her heart was pounding in her chest, anxiety leaping up to swallow her whole. 

_ You're being ridiculous, Carol, chill out. _

She finally made it to the dingy gym bathroom, stumbling in on a couple of moms obviously gossiping. They barely looked at her as she walked in, conceivably just to ensure she wasn't the target of their sniping. As she slipped into one of the tiny stalls, she heard them continuing to whispers "Yes, and did you see what she was wearing? My god, she looked like she was headed out to milk the cows. You know, I swear she's never had a manicure in her life, those fingernails!"

Carol sat on the toilet, forced her palms over her ears, shutting it all out. She forced herself to breathe. A foul smelling sanctuary, here in this cramped space, but better than facing the lights and the crowds and the loneliness. She forced herself to take deep breaths, counting as she breathed in and out. She pinched the skin between her thumb and forefinger, twisting it enough to hurt and leave a mark. It helped, grounding her, making her feel like a real rabbit again. 

She unclamped her hands from her ears and was relieved the chatty women were gone. Cautiously she slipped out of the stall, looking in the mirror with the dim single bulb hanging overhead. Her lipstick was smudged. The lighting showed the dark circles under her eyes. She leaned in close to the mirror, inspecting the fine lines around her mouth, the corners of her eyes. She rubbed a fingertip over the two deep furrows between her eyes, trying to smooth them out. 

She felt horrible, and ugly, and completely inept at this whole parenting business. She had fallen into a well of despair in this dark bathroom, and the only way out was to seek out the sunshine in her life, her two girls, and hope that they didn't notice how hideous and unworthy she was. 

She ran her fingers through her blonde waves and took one last deep breath, her hand on the doorknob of the bathroom like she was about to rush out onto a battlefield. Fortunately, she was able to locate Therese and Rindy quickly. They were saying goodbye to a small knot of gangly teens, and Carol hung back a moment to let them finish and spot her in the crowd. The bubble of their enthusiasm slammed against her melancholy; Rindy was chattering away and Therese was nodding intently. They seemed oblivious to Carol's abrupt change in mood, and she trailed after them as they made their way out of the gym and into the brightly lit parking lot. She was glad they remembered where she had parked – she felt disoriented and out of sorts.

In the car, she put her mind on autopilot as she focused on the two-lane country road to Therese's apartment, intently watching for the shiny eyes of deer in her headlights. She felt safer in the car, in the dark, where no one could scrutinize her face. She allowed herself a single tear, which she wiped away quickly, then bit into her lip to pull herself back together.

It was hard to say goodbye to Therese without kissing her, but she was just not comfortable doing that in front of her daughter. Instead, she squeezed her hand tightly, and Therese slid out of the car and into the dark alcove of her apartment. Rindy jumped into the front seat beside her. 

With Therese gone, Rindy focused her chatter on her mother. "Hey Mom, did you see Dad at the concert?"

"Yes."

"I saw him right after our part was over. He was acting super freaky. He sure is wound tight sometimes."

"Yes," she said again, knowing she should say more than that, somehow defend Harge for his daughter's sake, but she was unable to come up with anything further.

Rindy didn't seem to notice either way. She wanted to tell her all about the cute boy who played snare drum in the concert band, how he had come over to say hi to her before the concert. He was an 8th grader, and tall with dark wavy hair. She listened numbly, thinking she was probably missing out on a good parenting opportunity. A good mother would probably work some words of wisdom on love and dating in here somewhere, but all she felt was a wave of possessiveness, that she didn't want her baby girl going off with some pimply teenager who was probably all hands and slobbery kisses.

She shuddered at the thought, feeling a sense of relief as she pulled into her driveway and killed the headlights. When they were inside, she pulled her daughter to her and gave her a tight hug and kiss on the forehead. "I'm so proud of you, sweetheart," she said. "You sounded amazing and looked beautiful up there on stage."

Rindy hugged her back a little, then quickly pulled away like a reluctant housecat held in a tight embrace. "Thanks, Mom," she said, already headed down the hallway to her room, leaving a wake of youthful optimism behind her. 

Carol stepped into her quiet bedroom, for once actually happy that Therese wasn't there at the moment. She would have had to remain strong if Therese were there, put up a façade that everything was ok. That was her best talent, to make everyone else think she had it all together when inside she was falling apart. If she showed her true weakness, then what would they all think of her? 

But since she was alone, she could give in to the loneliness and worry inside of her. Harge's face, purple with rage, flashed across her brain.

She put on her coziest pair of flannel pajamas and crawled into the bed. She had left the bedroom door open, and soon Xena was in the bed with her, curled up in a warm ball beside her hip. She hugged a pillow to her chest, pressed her face into it, and let the tears come. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am enjoying the conversations I am having through the comments section just as much as writing the story! Thank you to all of you for your interest!  
> So, are you surprised to hear how vulnerable and insecure Carol can be?


	30. Small but Mighty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol receives a threat from Harge and falls to pieces. If only someone would come to her defense...

Carol felt better when she woke up the next morning. Xena was still beside her, stretched out and taking up half the bed. Her alarm went off when it was still dark outside, the winter days being so short that she always had to wake to a darkened room. It was harder to leave her warm cozy bed on those days, but at least she had a job to look forward to – and of course, a hot cup of coffee.

She booted up her computer to look at her schedule for the day as she toasted a bagel. She had two sales calls to make in the afternoon, which meant she should spend the morning doing a little prospecting, building her pipeline for future customers. She also had some emails to attend to, questions from existing clients about add-ons to their current setup, one who had a speaker malfunctioning. She clicked through her emails, idly sipping her coffee in her pajamas.

She checked her phone. There was a text from Therese, one she had sent last night.

> _Are you ok? You were quiet in the car. Love you._

And then another about an hour later.

> _Guess you already went to bed. Have sweet dreams!_

She was sorry she had missed those texts last night – they would have helped.

She texted her back.

> _Sorry I missed these last night. Hope you are having a good day. Love you, sweetheart._

She set the phone back down and continued going through her work email. She heard the phone ding and picked it up, expecting a return text from Therese.

The smile on her face quickly turned sour. It was a text from Harge, and said only:

> _Check your email._

Her heart pounded, and she opened a browser to check her personal email account. Buried amongst advertisements and spam, there it was, an email from Harge. It had an attachment - a video, perhaps? The text of the email read:

> _Unless you want this to go public, you will stop flaunting your little girlfriend all over town. I will take you to court and take away the house and the alimony. The papers are not final, so don't fuck around with me. I will destroy you, and I will destroy her too._

Carol's heart was pounding in her ears, her blood pressure suddenly sky high. What could this be? She clicked on the file, and as it started to play, her mouth hung open in shock.

Through a shaky lens, she saw a street scene, full of leather-clad men in chest harnesses, men and women in complete leather pony outfits, a woman wielding a whip in a latex dress, a festival of perversion all out in bright, broad daylight. The camera zoomed in, and suddenly Carol saw herself, dressed in an ankle-length clinging black leather dress, a crop in one hand and a leash in the other. The other end of the leash was connected to a collar around Abby's neck. Both of them were laughing, looking around at the carnival atmosphere, oblivious to whomever had a video camera pointed at them. Abruptly, the footage ended.

_Damn him._

The video was from September, after she and Harge had separated. Carol and Abby had flown out to San Francisco for Folsom Street Fair, the biggest convergence of people interested in all things leather, kink, and fetish-related in the world. Abby had talked her into it – she had gone for many years, had friends there, and told her what a fun atmosphere it was. Carol had been hesitant at first, but then thought of how far away from home base that it was, and that she would be surrounded by like-minded people. Since many of these folks would be "in the closet" about their kink activities, it added an extra layer of secrecy and privacy. Or at least she had thought so at the time.

But here it was, right here in technicolor for anyone to see. The panic in her chest was unbearable, and like a frightened animal she ran away from the computer, ran back to her bedroom, throwing herself into a corner of the closet on the floor and tucking her knees up into herself.

_What to do what to do what to do?_

The fear cut her off at the knees, and she was unable to think clearly, not able to get past the sick worry that bubbled in her stomach. She could not lose Rindy. She could not be ruined. Where would she live if Harge took this house away? What did he mean by he would "destroy" Therese?

After over an hour of rocking herself in anxious worry, she finally crawled out of the closet, deciding at the very least she could dress herself. Once she was in her work clothes, she walked back into the kitchen, eyeing the laptop on the table as if it were a venomous snake. She went to the cupboard and poured herself a glass of wine, gulped it down, then went back over to the laptop and quickly clicked the x in the corner of the video and email windows.

She took several deep, calming breaths as she paced around the kitchen. She picked up her phone and tried to call Abby, but there was no answer. She slammed the phone down on the counter in frustration.

Images of the video kept replaying in her mind, along with the rest of the activities of the weekend. Had Harge been following them? Hired a private detective? What else might have been captured on film?

She remembered an erotic private party she had attended later that evening in a fully equipped playspace, where she tied Abby to a table and joined another Domme in dripping melting candle wax all over her body. They wouldn't have allowed someone to video in a place like that, would they? No, that would have been too obvious.

By the afternoon, she had pulled herself together enough to go to her two appointments, but she felt in her gut that both had gone poorly. She had been distracted, unable to smile and use her charm to get past the technical knowledge that she was still struggling to grasp as a new salesperson.

When she got home, she had kicked off her shoes and laid on top of the bedcovers, throwing her arm over her eyes and letting the despair wash over her. Rindy was supposed to be with Harge tonight, so she didn't have to worry about cooking dinner. She was tired to the point of weakness, and her limbs all felt heavy like they were filled with sand.  She lay barely moving, even when Xena jumped on the bed to nudge her with her wet nose and remind her it was time for her dinner. The bed was quicksand, pulling her down. She might stay here forever, until her body melted into the sheets and all that was left were her bones.

_Fucking Harge. Fuck him. Fuck all controlling men._

He was like a child who hadn't been picked for the game, and now he was going to take his ball and go home. Except in this case, the ball was Rindy, and her house, and her reputation.

When she heard a knock at the front door, she shot straight up in bed. A knot of fear coiled and twisted in her belly. It must be Harge, come to gloat, to preen, to demand. She wasn't going to answer the door, couldn't face him, refused to. And then she had a thought –

_Wait, doesn't he still have a key?_

She sprang out of bed. At the very least she could keep him from coming into the house, turn him away at the doorstep.

She jerked open the door with a fury, summoning all the anger she could muster to overcome her malaise. She stopped in surprise when she saw Therese there, looking shocked herself, seeming very small and timid on the doorstep.

"Hi," she said. "You weren't answering your phone and I got worried."

Carol dropped her hands down at her sides, the weariness sweeping over her again along with the anxious thoughts.

_What if I have to give her up?_

"Hi," she croaked, "I'm fine."

Therese shook her head, looking intently at her face. "No, no, you're not."

"I'm just tired. I need some rest. I'm sorry I didn't respond to your calls –I'll call you tomorrow?" Carol said weakly, starting to close the door.

"No, you're going to let me in and tell me what's going on," Therese said with a fierce voice that Carol had never heard before, and she physically pushed the door open again and brushed by Carol into the house before she could stop her.

"You've been acting funny ever since we ran into Harge last night, and I'll be damned if I let you shut me out, Carol Aird."

Carol stood with her mouth open, wondering where in the world this fierce little person had come from. She barely came up to Carol's chin, but her presence now was so large that it filled the entire hallway and spilled out into the living room. She grabbed Carol by the wrist and pulled her to the couch, pushing her gently to sit down. She perched on the coffee table across from her, eyes boring into her soul.

"Now spill it."

Carol was flabbergasted, to say the least. A small part of her thought this all didn't seem proper, not at all. Therese should not be talking to her this way, SHE was the one in charge. And yet ... she was weak, she was sad, and she was tired.

Wearily, she sat back against the couch cushions and chewed a nail.

"I can wait you out on this one. I don't have anywhere else I need to be," Therese said into the silence between them. And then, quirking an eyebrow at her, she smirked, "Hell, I even know where to find some rope if I need to tie you up and interrogate you."

Carol's lips twitched, and begrudgingly she gave Therese a small smile.

"There you are. I knew you were in there somewhere." Therese reached over and took her hand between her own, the soft, warm skin a soothing balm. Carol was at such a loss, she was out of options.

"It's about Harge. He's threatening me," she said shakily.

"OK," Therese breathed. "How is he doing that?"

Carol hesitantly started to explain about the text, the email, the horrible video. Her face flushed when she got to the part about going with Abby to Folsom. She didn't know if Therese could understand her attending something that seemed so full of debauchery – and she also hoped it didn't create a flare of jealousy in her. She watched her closely, but all she saw were those calm, hazel eyes, her face passive, nodding as she listened.

When Carol had run out of things to say, Therese asked, "So, do people really lose custody over this sort of thing?"

Carol shrugged. "With the wrong judge, you could lose custody over just about anything if they perceived you to be a bad parent."

"Then we'll get you a lawyer. A really good one. I have a friend at work whose wife is a lawyer, and I can ask her to connect us with someone."

Carol looked alarmed. "Oh no, I don't want any of this rubbing off on you. You can't have people at work knowing this about you."

Therese nodded calmly. "It's ok. I’m going to help you figure this out.  It's best not to jump to conclusions until we know the facts."

She stood up. "What have you had to eat today? "

Carol shook her head.

"OK, first things first – I am ordering us a pizza, and then I'm going to do a little internet research to see what people do in these sorts of situations. And while I do that, you are going to get in a hot shower and try to relax."

Carol looked at her with curiosity. "Who are you, and what have you done with my meek little Therese?"

Therese moved next to her and took her in her arms, squeezing her tightly. "I'm your lover, I'm the woman who will protect you until I die, I will kick ass and go to battle for you. Nobody fucks with you, not ever, or I will make them pay."

Carol leaned into the softness of her fierce little brunette warrior, allowing herself to be comforted by her, that small frame suddenly seeming very large as she enveloped her in tenderness. And finally, in that moment, she allowed herself to cry in front of Therese, her tears wetting her shoulder.

Therese rocked her gently and kissed her temple, murmuring to her soothingly. "It's going to be ok, Carol, I swear it to you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Ligeria for the lightening-fast beta reads. And also, for the priceless quote after she read this chapter, "I'm a gonna kill FuckingHarge."
> 
> What about the rest of you - what do YOU have to say?


	31. Wonder Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Therese helps Carol come up with a plan.

Therese

Therese was on the case. While Carol showered, she scoured the internet, starting with the search "can parents lose custody of children because of kink." And then it was off to the races, looking up past case history and, most importantly, finding a link to an organization called National Coalition for Sexual Freedom (NCSF). This web site had a listing of "Kink Aware Professionals," which included a listing of lawyers who were understanding of alternative lifestyles and willing to be advocates for them in legal proceedings. 

Her research also had uncovered that the DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Volume 5) had removed "unusual sexual interests" from a list of disorders, and clarified that it was only a disorder if it caused harm to self or others. This update had only been made in 2013, but since then, the DSM-V could no longer be used in a court case to claim a parent was unfit for custody. She felt more hopeful reading this news, and was excited to share it with Carol when she was done with her shower. 

They talked over a huge pepperoni and mushroom thin crust pizza, perusing a list of local lawyers on the NCSF list. Carol regained a bit of her glimmer, and Therese was relieved she did not quite look as pale. 

Carol nudged her under the table with her toe. "Hey you, how did you learn to be so calm in a crisis?"

Therese thought for a moment. "I might not know much about domestic bliss, but I know all about survival. My whole life I have managed to survive without having anyone else to depend on – well, except for Dannie. And I've been through enough shit to know that I can always figure it out. I just have to stay cool and figure out a plan. And that's what we'll do."

Carol nodded. "So, what's next?"

"Most importantly, you should call one of these lawyers tomorrow. And then you need to decide how you are going to respond to Harge's email."

"Do I have to respond at all?"

"No," Therese said thoughtfully, "but a non-response is a response in itself. So you could do that. Or you could tell him to fuck off. You could respond with a threat of your own. Or you could make him think you've capitulated – just to buy some time."

She could see the wheels turning in Carol's head. "What kind of threat?" she asked.

"Well, does he have any skeletons in his closet he wouldn't want exposed? Dirty business deals, affairs, shady things in his past?" 

She could see Carol shudder. "He does, but, no," she said, "I wouldn't want to put an empty threat out there. Because it would be empty. I would never try to ruin him, for Rindy's sake. If Harge takes me down, then at least she would still have one parent with a decent reputation."

It sounded noble to Therese, but foolishly so; she shrugged and nodded. She could only help her think of options, but Carol had to be the one who made the decisions. 

"But I'm certainly not going to let him think he won with his bullying tactics. Not even for a minute. So making him think I will kowtow to him is not an option."

"Ok, you've eliminated a couple of branches on that decision tree. We're left with stay quiet or fuck off."

Carol's eyes narrowed. "I want to tell him to fuck off so badly. But if this all goes to court, I can't come off looking like an unhinged pervert."

"Well," Therese pondered, "there are ways to effectively say fuck off that sound downright civil – it's all in how you say it."

"Can you help me write it?"

"Oh yes, that would be my pleasure," Therese said slyly. "Bring your laptop in and we'll work on it together right now."

Carol brought in the laptop and they labored over the message for a good half hour, typing and erasing and typing again. And in the end they had a message they were both happy with:

> Dear Harge,
> 
> I find it unfortunate that you have felt it necessary to threaten me over my private, consensual activities which have no impact on my abilities as a parent. I am concerned that this is an exhibit of dangerous tendencies on your part, to act out of rage and irrationality. 
> 
> Please reconsider this rash behavior for the sake of our daughter, who we both love dearly. 
> 
> If you continue with this threatening behavior, I will find it necessary to litigate to the fullest extent of the law. It is my understanding that extensive legal action can be quite expensive, and would have a detrimental effect on our mutual assets. But do not doubt for a moment that I will spend every penny I have to retain custody of Rindy and defend my right to a loving and fulfilling private life. 
> 
> -Carol

Therese clicked send on the message, and Carol leaned back in her chair, sipping at a glass of red wine. "Goddamn, Therese, you sound like a lawyer. I think you missed your calling."

"No," Therese said, leaning over to kiss Carol on the tip of her nose, "my calling is right here with you. And whatever has happened in my life to bring me to this place and time with you, is exactly the way it should be. It has all been worth it, if I can just be with you now."

"I knew you were smart, and I knew you were thoughtful, but I guess I never realized ... how wise you are."

Therese blushed and got up from the table abruptly so Carol wouldn't see the flood of emotion on her face. She felt so proud to be able to give something to Carol that she found so valuable, to be able to help her, yes, even, to rescue her.

She walked around behind Carol's chair and began to gently massage her neck and shoulders. Carol moaned softly and Therese leaned down to inhale the scent of her hair. 

Carol murmured something so quietly that Therese didn't hear. She nuzzled her face into Carol's neck, putting her ear near her mouth. "What did you say?"

"Can you stay with me tonight?" she said again, in the quietest, smallest voice Therese had ever heard from her. "I hate to ask, I know you don't have your work clothes with you."

"Shush. There is no place else I'd rather be. You couldn't beat me out of here with a stick. Actually," she giggled, "beating me would probably just make me wanna stay even more. That's what we call an incentive."

And finally she heard Carol laugh, a real laugh. She stood up and took Therese's hand and led her down the hallway to the bed. Carol found a worn, soft t-shirt for Therese to sleep in. 

Therese looked down at the shirt and started laughing. "Wonder Woman. I would have never guessed you had this in your drawer."

"I was just waiting for the right woman to come along who could pull off the look," Carol winked. "And you definitely have super powers."

When they climbed into bed together, Carol slid down the mattress so that her face was nestled in Therese's chest. Therese cradled her head in her arms, running her fingers through her hair and planting little kisses on the top of her head. 

It was her turn to be the strong one now, Therese knew, and she was definitely up for the challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The story is nearing an end - there will be 34 chapters total. I will post one each evening, with the last one on Thanksgiving day.   
> Please keep the comments coming - they keep me warm in the snow!! You gals are da bomb.  
> Thank you to the Alpha beta.


	32. Not Too Shabby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carol seeks professional help in her legal dilemma - and bonus points for anyone who picks up the tv reference without googling it.

Carol 

She woke a few minutes before the alarm went off and lay there in the silence, listening to Therese's quiet breathing, her small body pressed against Carol's back and a thin, muscular arm draped over her hip. She wiggled her ass gently, pressing back against the sleeping woman. In her sleep, Therese pressed closer and sighed, sliding her arm up to wrap around her waist.

"I love you, sweet girl," she whispered softly, wanting it to seep into Therese's subconscious, so that every part of her body and mind were aware of that fact.

"I love you too," she heard whispered back, and had to laugh a little. So she was awake after all. Carol turned over in the bed to face her. She stroked her sleepy cheek. Her hand roamed over the warm softness of her lover, and she slipped her hand underneath her t-shirt to caress and explore. She stroked the soft velvet of her stomach and down to her thighs.

Therese moaned softly and sighed. "You can't do this to me. I have to go back to my apartment for my work clothes, and I can't be late!"

Carol chuckled. "I don't know what you're talking about, sweetheart. Go right ahead and do what you need to do."

"Such a tease," the younger woman grumbled, stretching and rolling in the warmth and softness of the bed.

"Go get your shower and I'll make you some breakfast," Carol said, feeling much more like herself this morning now that the drama had receded. "I'm thinking you should have oatmeal."

"That sounds delicious," said Therese, sleepily heading for the bathroom while stripping off her nightshirt.

 _She's a tease without even knowing it_ , Carol thought, watching her bare back as she walked down the hallway. She thought how the Therese she knew several months ago would never have walked through the house half-naked. But Carol asked her to be naked in front of her so often, and praised and admired her body when she did so, that now Therese had a new spring in her step when she was in front of Carol unclothed. It warmed her heart to see her so confident and self-assured.

Carol put on a pot of Sumatran coffee to brew and made a bowl of oatmeal for Therese, sprinkling it with blueberries, brown sugar, and granola, just the way she liked it. Everything was on the table for her when she wandered in from her shower, wearing a pair of lacy pink underwear that Carol recognized as her own, and a black tank top that she had been wearing under her sweater last night.

Carol crossed her arms and gave her a look. 

"Well, I didn't have any clean underwear of my own!" Therese sassed.

Carol smacked her on the ass. "They look better on you, anyhow."

"Thank you, but I beg to differ" she said, wiggling her bottom invitingly, which earned another smack from Carol.

"Oh I'll make you beg, all right," Carol smirked.

The small woman wrapped her arms around Carol, standing on her tiptoes to kiss her. She was steamy and sweet-smelling from the shower, and she could feel her nipples press against her skin through the tank top. Carol dearly wished they had the morning to frolic. How she would love to peel down those lacy panties and lay a strap against the firm young flesh until the woman was moaning and writhing. But she would have to save that for later, because they both had things to do today.

She pulled out a chair for Therese at the table, "Come on, your breakfast is getting cold." Carol stood behind her chair for a moment as she started to eat, kissing the top of her head and stroking her hands over her upper arms, .

"You're not going to leave with wet hair, are you?" Carol said, ruffling her dark, damp locks with her fingers.

"I guess not," Therese said. Carol could tell that had been exactly what she’d intended to do.

Carol chuckled and went to check her work e-mail and her schedule for the day. No appointments were scheduled, so she had plenty of time to call the lawyer they had picked from the NCSF list and catch up on the client emails that had stacked up since yesterday.

Therese finished her breakfast and started to clean up the dishes, but Carol shooed her off. "Go on, I know you need to get to your apartment. I'll get this."

"You're too good to me."

"I know," Carol winked. "Can you come back tonight?"

"Yes, I told Danny I would meet him after work for a drink, but I'll come home when I'm done."

_Home._

Therese blushed, realizing too late her slip-up and that Carol had noticed it too.

Before she could back-pedal, Carol reached for her and pressed her mouth against her lips, murmuring, "Yes, come back home to me when you're done, darling."

Therese kissed her, still blushing, then fled to the bathroom to quickly dry her hair. Then she headed for the door, balancing a travel mug of coffee in one hand and her laptop bag in the other.

"Love you, baby," Carol said, and kissed those luscious lips once more before her brunette beauty headed out into the chilly morning.

Carol took her laptop into the office where she had a more comfortable chair. She was still pointedly ignoring her personal email account, and she forced her mind to focus on work and getting herself organized for the day. It was Friday, and she knew if she could just suck it up and slog through the day, then she could have the weekend to relax and fall apart again if need be.

As soon as 8:00 rolled around, she called the lawyer's office. She was concerned that her divorce lawyer might see this as a betrayal of sorts, but she needed to get a 3rd party perspective from someone who specialized in these things before pulling her other lawyer back into the loop. The receptionist was polite and said she could fit Carol in next Wednesday. Carol thanked her with a sinking feeling. She knew that was relatively quick to get an appointment, but she thought of how many days of uncertainty that would generate.

She went back to her work email and finished answering several inquiries. She had 3 new leads to follow up with, and she picked up her phone to call the first one.  As she was entering the number, the phone buzzed. She answered without looking at the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"Yes, Ms. Aird? This is the office of C.J. Lamb. She just had a last-minute cancellation for this morning at 10. I wondered if you would be available to move your appointment to today?"

"Oh, you bet I would!" Carol said enthusiastically and the woman on the other end laughed.

"OK, we'll see you in a bit, then."

Carol hung up the phone and shifted her butt into high gear, getting a quick shower and picking out a plain black pantsuit with a creamy white silk blouse to go underneath. At her neck, she tied a cobalt blue silk scarf. She applied very light make-up, and put a little product in her hair to leave it slightly mussed. She looked in the mirror and thought she looked rather conservative – a fine, upstanding citizen.

She double-checked the address for the lawyer's office and entered it into her phone, then headed out the door so she could arrive early just in case she had trouble finding the place.

When she arrived at the office, she found it to be rather plain and unassuming. It was in one of the old downtown high rises, but the floor of the building had worn carpet and non-descript furniture in the lobby. It wasn't exactly shabby, but it was certainly not the type of lush extravagance that she was used to seeing at the office of her divorce lawyer.

The receptionist was young and friendly, with that retro Bettie Page look that seemed to go in and out of fashion regularly. She had glasses with dark, heavy frames and a severe line of black bangs that marched across her forehead in regimental fashion. She waved a tattooed arm toward the Keurig coffee maker in the lobby, telling Carol she could have a cup of coffee while she waited.

Carol sat in one of the worn leather chairs, which was surprisingly comfortable. She pulled out her phone and decided she should check her personal email, just in case there was something new from Harge to share with the lawyer. There was nothing. She opened the email with the incriminating video so that it would be ready to show the lawyer. She blushed at the thought of sharing this version of herself with a total stranger. She ran her fingers through her hair nervously, then scrolled back through recent texts from Therese for comfort and distraction.

"Hello, Ms. Aird. Nice to meet you. I'm C.J."

Carol looked up and was momentarily shocked to see a tall, slender woman with short reddish-brown hair standing in front of her with her hand extended. The woman looked like she could have been a supermodel in her younger days, with high cheekbones and a big smile of perfect white teeth.

She overcame her initial surprise and stood quickly, taking the offered hand. "Hello. And please, call me Carol."

The woman led her into a warm and inviting office. The walls were hung with interesting and whimsical paintings, one of which she recognized as a Frida Kahlo self-portrait. She noticed a stone sculpture of a naked woman on a table in the corner. On her desk was a picture of the lawyer with a laughing and handsome brunette who Carol thought looked rather butch. They were on a beach that looked a lot like Provincetown with a sandy Labrador retriever.

As they settled in across the large wooden desk from each other, the woman asked Carol to explain where she was in the divorce process and bring her up to speed on where things stood today. That was easy enough, and Carol told her about their current agreements and how she thought they had been close to finalizing the papers.

"And who is your divorce lawyer?"

"Emily Stein."

C.J. nodded and smiled broadly. "Oh yes, I know her well. Great lady. I've worked with her many times – we'll have no problem getting our efforts coordinated."

Carol took a deep, relieved breath. "Good, I was worried she would feel I was going behind her back."

"No, it's not uncommon for people to seek a specialist when they encounter a ... special circumstance. Which brings us to … want to tell me about what brought you to me?"

Carol felt more comfortable by the minute in the presence of this woman with the kind brown eyes, and her casual confidence and non-judgmental demeanor made it easy for Carol to tell her the rest of the story, about her lifestyle, her past with Abby, and the video that Harge had sent her.

She cued up the video for C.J. to see, and she watched it intently several times. She also read the email from Harge, her face studious.

She turned her attention back to Carol. "Do you think this is all he has?"

"I don't know. Knowing him, I think he would share what he felt was the most incriminating. So this is probably the worst of it."

Suzanne nodded. "He must have hired a detective to follow you out there. Which, in itself, seems quite obsessive on his part given that this event happened after you were already separated."

"Right."

"So he can't claim infidelity based on this. And there's really not anything here that indicates you did more than attend a public event where people were involved in fetish activities. With what you and your friend were wearing, I've seen much more scandalous Halloween costumes, so all you would have to say is that you had both dressed to fit in with the crowd."

"Oh," Carol said, relief flooding her. "So, you are saying I could deny it?"

"Well, I would never suggest that you lie to the court," C.J. said, lifting an eyebrow coyly, "but you certainly don't have to divulge what you do in private. We could block them on that line of questioning if it went that way, and reiterate that it only matters what Rindy was exposed to, focus on the impact it has on your skills as a parent. Which, I do need to ask – is your daughter aware of any of these activities?"

"No, never," Carol said emphatically.

"I wouldn't want to make any promises, and there are always things that can happen if you get some right-wing conservative judge, but just based on what I've seen, I honestly don't think you have anything to worry about."

"Thank you. That's such a relief to hear!"

C.J. gave her some paperwork to fill out and they covered a few more details before wrapping up. "I'll follow up with Emily this afternoon, and she will call you to discuss."

Carol felt a wave of gratitude for this woman who had been so kind and had never for a moment made her feel ashamed of her sexual interests. She clasped her hand in both of hers tightly when they said goodbye, and told her with all sincerity how much she appreciated her help.

When Carol walked back out onto the city sidewalk, she felt as if she weighed a good 50 pounds less than when she had been out there an hour before.  


	33. The Key

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Therese hangs out with Dannie, then goes home to share a little tv time with Carol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: Before you read this chapter, make sure you had a chance to read 32. AO3 was being goofy when I posted last night and never pushed it up to the top of the page, so I suspect many of you missed it.   
> Also, this chapter starts off innocently enough, but then hang on to your panties. I wouldn't read this on the train, on a bus, with a goat or on a boat. Best savored in private - but don't say I didn't warn ya if you choose to do something else!

Therese

It was good to catch up with Dannie again. Honestly, she felt she had neglected him a bit since she started dating Carol. Of course, they still coordinated their volunteer hours at the shelter so that they could work together there. But there was nothing like having the time and luxury of a quiet corner of a restaurant, sharing a drink with no barking dogs or needy cats to interrupt their conversation.

She filled him in on the drama with Harge, along with the latest update of her text from Carol this afternoon about the successful visit with the lawyer.

"Kink Lawyer, huh? Who knew?"

"Yeah," Therese giggled. "I guess you can specialize in just about anything."

"You seem happy," he said, raising his glass in a toast to her happiness. "In fact, I am worried about your creativity. How will you ever create great art if you're not a big ball of sad?"

She punched him in the arm playfully, grinning. "Guess I will have to join that long line of great and deliriously happy artists. I'm sure several come to mind immediately."

"Yeah right," he smiled, sipping his pinot noir.

She leaned forward conspiratorially. "Seriously, I had no idea a relationship could be this good. She's so kind and thoughtful, and I feel like being with her makes me a better person. You know, in past relationships I felt it sometimes brought out the worst parts in me – the selfishness, petty jealousy, the insecurity." She twirled the stem of her wineglass in her fingers and watched the golden liquid slosh against the sides of the glass. "But with her, I don't struggle to do the right thing. I just want what's best for her, and I feel without a doubt that she wants the same for me. The little things she does for me all the time, it just melts my heart."

"Oooof Bells, you are killing me with the mush." He smiled playfully. "I'm happy for you, really I am. I just hope I find my own Sugar Daddy who can do the same for me. In the meantime, I'll just have to settle for the mind blowing sex I'm having with David."

Therese rolled her eyes at him. 

_ I have all that, and the mind blowing sex is just the cherry on top! _

"Any talk of moving in together?" he asked.

"No." She blushed. "I think she is still super cautious about the impact to Rindy. She won't even hold my hand in front of her, much less kiss me – and I never spend the night when she's home. So that's fine, we'll just take our time about it."

He looked thoughtful. "Yeah, I guess it's different when you have kids, you always have to think of them first. That's why I never wanted children – I'm too damned selfish!"

"Me and you both," she said, and laughed. But something nudged at the edge of her consciousness, that being with Carol in a long-term relationship would mean becoming a parent of sorts. And she found she didn't mind that. She loved Rindy already and enjoyed spending time with her. Whereas having some theoretical child was completely unappealing, being there for real, flesh and blood Rindy seemed natural and right.

He walked with her out to her car and kissed her cheek as they said their goodbyes. She hopped in her car, rolled down her window, and started a loud and off-tune rendition of "Danny Boy" as he ran from the car in mock embarrassment. She stuck her hand out the window and waved as the old Subaru rattled out of the parking lot.

She had to force herself not to speed as she headed toward Carol's house. She always had a sense of nervous excitement to see her, like an addict who had been away from her fix for too long. Whether it was days or hours, any time away from Carol was always too long.

She pulled into the driveway and saw the mini parked there, making a mental note to herself that she wanted to work on clearing out Carol's garage so that she could park inside. A car like that should be inside a garage, and a woman like Carol should never have to scrape the ice off her windshield in the morning. 

She rang the front bell and Carol came to the door, looking radiant. She was in a soft, cotton dress that looked more appropriate for summer time. The dress was short enough to show off her long, elegant legs with their muscular calves. Therese wrapped her arms around her and enjoyed the feel of her slender waist under her hands. She tilted her head up to drink in the exquisite taste of her mouth.

She felt Carol pressing something cold and hard into her hand, and she looked down to see what it was. In her palm was a shiny silver key – she looked back up at Carol, whose eyes were shining. 

"I'm tired of having to come answer the door for you; you're here so often, it's totally a bother," she said, a hint of mischief in her eyes. “And besides, I was getting the locks changed because of Harge, so it was easy enough to ask for a spare key.” She turned and walked back towards the kitchen, leaving Therese standing in the hallway staring at the key in her hand.

How like Carol to treat so important a moment in this flippant way. She would never fully understand the mystery of this woman, but she would certainly enjoy spending her lifetime trying. 

She put the key on her key ring and admired it in a silly, romantic way, thinking it looked quite nice nestled next to her own keys. 

She followed Carol into the kitchen, swept in by the scent of fresh baked bread and vegetable soup. 

"I already ate. I wasn't sure how late you would be. You hungry?" Carol asked.

Therese laughed. "I wasn't before, but now that I smell all this, I'm ravenous!"

She fixed herself a bowl of soup and cut off a large hunk of rosemary-scented bread, still warm from the oven. She sat at the table and ate, watching Carol move efficiently around the kitchen. The beautiful blonde chatted away, filling her in on the details of her visit with the lawyer and talking about the three sales appointments she had secured this afternoon. 

"No work tomorrow," she said and winked, "so I thought maybe we could cuddle on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and stream some Netflix."

"That sounds amazing!" Therese said, then added, "Can we watch American Horror Story? I really want you to see the "Asylum" season!"

Carol giggled. "I guess I'll try anything once."

"I have two words for you: Jessica Lange."

"Sold," Carol responded and put some popcorn in the popper while Therese finished her soup.

Therese changed into some flannel pants, a t-shirt, and soft socks. When she walked out to the couch, Carol had the tv on and was curled up underneath a fleece blanket. She lifted the edge of the blanket for Therese to slip in next to her. 

Therese felt a wave of arousal when she realized Carol was only wearing a flimsy silk negligee under the blanket, silky bare skin rubbing against her as she shifted under the blanket. She couldn't help herself, she let her hand roam over the warm, ample skin of Carol's thighs as she settled in next to her. She felt her breathing quicken, her heart already beating faster.

Carol quirked an eyebrow and gave her a sideways glance, picking up the remote to queue up the first episode of Asylum. She put her arm around the smaller woman's shoulders as the show started, trailing her fingernails along her upper arm. She placed a bowl of popcorn between them, and every time their fingers met in the bowl Therese felt a little jolt of electricity. She used every scary moment in the show as an excuse to press herself closer to the enchanting tall beauty curled up beside her. She could tell Carol was breathing faster too, but whether from the drama on the screen or close physical contact she couldn't be sure. 

She leaned over to press her face against Carol's neck, nuzzle at her shoulder, and breathe in the heavenly scent of her. Her smell was the most powerful aphrodisiac she had ever encountered; it made her want to sink her teeth into the soft flesh of her shoulder and suck at it like nectar. She grazed her teeth against the flesh there, but Carol chided her softly and pushed her away. She felt the shift in their power dynamics again; it was all Carol in charge now, and Therese felt a wave of contentment when Carol set the bowl of popcorn aside and took both of her wrists into her lap, holding them together with her one hand. She let her body go limp against the leggy blonde, holding still and obedient. 

Both of their eyes were fixed on Jessica Lange, dressed as a nun, in all her glorious craziness. They laughed at the campy moments and cringed at the gruesome ones. Therese was aware of her hands in Carol's lap, how close they were to the center of her, and she thought she could feel the heat radiating from between her thighs. It was delicious torment, being so close to her, having her hands pinned and unable to explore the scented curves and valleys of her body.

After watching two episodes, Carol turned off the television with a quiet click and stood up, pushing the blanket off of them both. In the dim light of a single lamp, Therese marveled at the beauty in front of her, the very essence of sensuality and feminine softness. Her breath caught in her throat as Carol reached for her hand, pulling her off the couch and leading her back to the bedroom. 

"Undress down to your panties," she instructed and walked into her closet. Therese could hear her rustling around in the closet as she quickly removed her clothes, crossing her arms over her chest in the cool air and looking down at the hard stubs of her pert nipples poking out. 

Carol emerged from the closet with Therese's collar in one hand and a strange contraption in the other, a series of leather straps and buckles that Therese could not quite make out. 

Carol pointed to the floor for Therese to kneel, and she buckled the soft collar around her neck. Therese could feel the hairs along her arms raised in a mixture of the cool air and anticipation. The hem of Carol's negligee brushed against her cheek as she stood above her.

"Stand up, darling," she said softly, and Therese could now more clearly see the thing that Carol held in her hand. It was a strap-on harness, something that Therese had only seen in pictures, and from it a slender, smooth dildo in purple and black protruded. She clenched her thighs nervously, not enjoying the prospect of something more than a finger's width inside of her tight orifice.

As if sensing her nervousness, Carol cupped her chin and tilted her face to look at her. She kissed her softly, then leaned to whisper close to her ear. "This is for me, darling. I want you to fuck me."

Therese could not suppress the moan that gurgled up from her chest, a primal sound of longing and desire. Instantly she felt a gush of wetness into her underwear, and her heart pounded in a wild and erratic beat. 

Carol stood in front of her with the harness, straightening out what appeared to her a somewhat complicated-looking series of straps. She knelt in front of Therese and held it for her to step into, steadying herself with a hand on Carol's shoulder as she put her foot into the openings Carol indicated. 

Carol slid the harness up Therese's legs, her thighs, standing as she pressed it snugly up into her crotch. She started to snug the buckles up tight at each side, adjusting the ridiculous purple appendage as she tightened. When Carol touched the phallus, Therese could feel the base of it press against her throbbing clit. When she had it so tight that the straps were almost cutting into her skin, Carol pressed her back to sit on the bed.

Carol knelt between her feet and took the fake cock in her hands, rubbing her fingers against the tip of it sensually and looking up at Therese. The smaller woman swallowed hard, her whole body tingling, this goddess of a woman giving her such a smoldering look that she thought her insides would melt.

Lewdly, Carol took the tip of the dildo between her full red lips, still keeping eye contact with Therese. She popped the head of it into her mouth, and the brunette felt the press of the base against her clit again, her nether lips sliding against each other and soaked with desire. 

Carol popped it back out again and swirled her tongue around it, flicking it as if she were licking Therese's clit. Therese groaned and panted, her eyes wide with desire. How this woman still seemed so dominant and in control while she was on her knees in front of her sucking her cock was awe-inspiring. But there was no doubt in either of their minds who was directing this little game, or whose desires would drive the action that was to come.

Carol pushed her back onto the bed and stood in front of her, lifting the silky slip enough to hook her fingers into the waistband of her creamy panties and slide them sensuously down those incredibly long legs. She crawled onto the bed on top of the smaller woman,  straddling her while pressing her lips onto Therese's and fucking her mouth with her tongue. Carol's long, sinuous tongue snaked and writhed in her mouth, and Therese groaned and rocked her hips with desire. Carol grabbed her wrists and dragged her arms up over her head, feasting on the small firm breasts below her. Therese could feel her lover's body bumping against the rod between her legs, sending vibrations down the shaft and into her core with every contact. 

Carol sat up on top of Therese, locking eyes with her as she grasped the hem of her nightie and pulled it up and off her body. She threw it on the floor beside the bed. Therese's heart raced as she drank her in, a sweet agony between her legs. Her eyes were drawn to the dark blonde curls between her legs that were hovering above her own hips, the purple phallus sticking up obscenely to block her view. 

In a move that was sexy, sensual, and pornographic all at once, Carol gripped the base of the rubber cock and rocked her hips to hover above it, brushing the tip against her glistening moist lips. Carol pressed the base of the cock down into Therese, rubbing the tip of it against her clit, then sliding her inner lips along the shaft, leaving a thick gloss of moisture on it.

Therese couldn't catch her breath; it was impossible with this peep-show-for-one happening right in front of her eyes. Carol let the tip of the dildo press just the slightest bit into her entrance, rotating her hips around the head and sending a riot of pleasure down into Therese's loins. Abruptly Carol climbed off of her, reaching to the nightstand and opening the drawer to retrieve a silver tube of lubricant. She sat beside the quivering lump of desire that had once been Therese, and squirted the lube into her palm. She reached and fisted the slender cock, coating it with lubricant and the smear of her own juices. 

She put the tube away and then stretched out on her back beside Therese, her head on the pillows, her knees up and legs spread. 

"Come fuck me," she growled, and Therese was up and on her like a shot, crouching between her legs, taking a nipple into her mouth and cupping a voluptuous breast with one hand while she reached her other hand down to guide the fake dick towards the heated tunnel of her sex. She stroked the rubber up and down her lips, teasing at her clit, a bit tentative and not wanting to hurt her.

Carol gripped her ass cheeks roughly and husked through gritted teeth, "Stop teasing and stick it in me," and her words set a fire in Therese's brain. All tenderness left her as she sensed the pure animal rutting that Carol desired.

Carol slipped a finger through the ring of her collar, hooking her finger in it to hold on and tug at the collar firmly. Therese felt the cock slip into her wet folds as if it had a mind of its own, as if it were a heat-seeking missile on a mission to the depths of her womb. 

She rocked her hips, pushing into her, and Carol let out a deep bestial groan. Therese felt her legs wrap around her hips, her heels digging into the backs of her thighs as she pulled Therese deeper into her. They stayed locked and still that way for a moment, pressing as hard as they could into each other, Therese whimpering with desire. 

She dug her fingers into Carol's shoulders as she started to pull her hips back slowly, trying to feel the depth of the thing attached to her and not wanting to leave the slick hot tunnel she was held in.

She pressed in again, inch by delicious inch, and she could feel Carol shuddering beneath her. She was pressing her on with her arms, her hips, and her legs, urging her with undulating hips. "More, yes," she grunted.

Therese could see the flush across her freckled chest. She rocked her hips faster, feeling the harness straps biting into her skin and the pressure on her clit increase. She shifted her weight, putting the heels of her hands on the mattress on either side of Carol's shoulders, feeling more confident of the angle and pressure of the thing between her legs with every stroke. Pushing her upper body up and away from Carol allowed their lower bodies to connect more completely, and she thrust deeper, studying the fine cheekbones and full luscious mouth contorted in pleasure. She could hear the wet suction of the cock sliding in and out of her, the squelching a confirmation of her lover's desire, how hot and ready she was for her. 

Carol's finger finally slipped from the ring in her collar so that she could jam her elbow down into the mattress, using the leverage to press her hips up and up and up at the thrusts of her small and powerful girl. Those athletic hips kept pumping, building her pleasure, stroking at the inner walls of her and creating the most exquisite friction. 

Carol slipped her left hand between their two bodies, frantically seeking her cunt. Therese leaned up more, still keeping up her rhythm. Carol's finger found her clit and she rubbed frantically as Therese continued to fuck her. 

"Faster, faster," she said in a choked voice. Therese gritted her teeth to quicken her strokes, sensing how close Carol was. 

Carol's hips bucked frantically and she cried out, screamed out, a sound that went straight to Therese's own clit and almost made her cum just from the noise. She shoved the prick into her as deep as it would go and held it there, still, as Carol clawed at her back with one hand and frigged herself wildly with the other. 

The gorgeous blonde finally fell back against the pillows limply, sweating and panting. "God, that was amazing," she slurred.

Therese let her weight sink down on top of her, kissing her tenderly over the sharp lines of her cheeks, her slender neck, ending at her soft, full mouth. Slowly, she pulled the dildo from its tight, molten sheath and heard it release with a gentle plop onto the bed sheets.

"You've done this before, haven't you," Carol said, opening one eye, "don't you dare lie to me."

"No, no I haven't," Therese laughed and panted, "but I'd do it again."

Carol dissolved into a fit of post-coital giggles. She rolled Therese over onto her side and gripped the slick dick in her hand, tugging at it. She pressed her nose against Therese's and grinned slyly. "You fuck me so good."

She throbbed with desire, struggling to keep her breathing some semblance of normal. She felt Carol's fingers at one of the side buckles of the harness. She sighed with relief when she felt it loosen. She knew she was going to have marks tomorrow from where it dug into her skin. 

She added to her to-do list:

  1. clean Carol's garage
  2. find a more comfortable harness



When Carol's hand pressed against her clit through her underwear, Therese was delirious with desire. She sat up on the bed to tug the sodden panties down her hips and off. Carol pushed at Therese's knees, pressing her legs apart, and climbed across her body to lay between her legs. Therese looked down at the lovely face staring into her womanhood, her head leaned against the crook of her knee and the golden hair spilling onto her thigh. 

"Touch yourself for me," Carol breathed, "I want to watch you make yourself cum."

Therese didn't have to be asked twice. She slipped her right hand between her leg and pressed her middle finger at the hood of her clit up high, wiggling it back and forth over the stiff ridge there. It was a feeling so familiar to her, the way she always made herself cum when she was alone, but it had a whole new thrill to it with Carol there watching her. She felt no shame as she fingered herself, just the desire of her lover towards her, those bold blue eyes drinking her in, watching exactly how and where she touched. 

Carol placed her fingers gently over Therese's, feeling the rhythm and pressure of the strokes to her stiffened clit. Therese slowed herself down, teasing herself, wanting this delicious pleasure to last and last. She stopped for a moment and pressed her finger hard into the throbbing, slickened flesh, just heading off an imminent orgasm. 

_ No no no, not yet. _

She felt her clit pulse and twitch and throb beneath her finger. After taking a few shaky breaths, she started again, looking down at Carol's eyes watching her, moving back and forth from her face to her finger working at her dripping pussy. 

When she couldn't stand it anymore, when her clit insisted it would cum whether she kept rubbing or not, she picked up her pace and drove herself over the edge. She felt Carol's weight shift on the bed, felt soft hair moving up her thighs, and suddenly Carol's tongue was on her fingers, on her labia, lapping at her as she clenched and spasmed in ecstasy. Her pleasure peaked and peaked, the warm wet tongue driving her higher. She lifted her legs off the bed, opening as wide as she could, her toes and feet flexing wildly in the air as she came and came and came. 

When Carol crawled back up on the bed beside her, her temples were wet with sweat. They pulled down the covers and crawled underneath, their sweaty bodies tangled together, the smell of sex in their nostrils as they drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chapter will be posted tomorrow about this time. I know some of you have been waiting for more smut, so I hope this lived up to your expectations.  
> Show me some comment love, why don'tcha?


	34. Crocus

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our tale comes to an end. Sigh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It seems appropriate, on Thanksgiving day here in America, to post the last chapter and to have a chance to express my gratitude.  
> Thank you to my inspiration, my wife, without whom I would have never discovered this lovely little fandom or the joys of writing fan fiction.   
> Thank you to Ligeria, for being supportive along the way and the excellent beta reads in later chapters.  
> And thank you to each one of you who has taken the time to leave a comment - you helped me keep going!

Therese rolled the windows down a crack just to let in some of the sweet spring air. It still had a sharp bite to it, but she could smell the moist earth and snowmelt, and here and there she could see the slightest tinges of pale green on the branches as young leaves started to bud. 

The days were lengthening to the point where now she could make her drive home from work before the sun dipped below the horizon. She was dodging potholes and massive puddles, the harsh winter having had its usual brutal effects on the roadways. 

As it always did this time of year, snatches of the poem "In Just" by e.e. cummings darted through her mind: 

> in Just- 
> 
> spring when the world is mud- 
> 
> luscious the little 
> 
> lame balloonman 
> 
> whistles far and wee 
> 
> and eddieandbill come 
> 
> running from marbles and 
> 
> piracies and it's 
> 
> spring 
> 
> when the world is puddle-wonderful 

"Puddle wonderful indeed," she grumbled slightly, dodging a crater carved out by water at the side of the road, eyeing the dirty melting piles of snow at the edges of driveways. 

But as messy as it was, it was good to see spring coming. The tips of crocuses had started to force their way up through the frozen earth. She admired their resilience, the way they started to uncurl their limbs while the ground was still iced over, risking the bite of a hard frost, pushing up relentlessly to blossom in delicate splendor, often on a background dusted white with snow. 

The winter had been long and difficult; they had several big snowstorms which dumped feet of snow at a time, a couple of them happening right around rush hour and stranding Therese on the road for hours. The temperatures had been bone-chillingly low, dropping below zero on several consecutive days, one of the coldest winters on record. And Harge had been relentless in his assault, dragging Carol into multiple negotiations with lawyers in tow, making snide remarks in front of Rindy, and showing up unannounced at her house, usually half-cocked, pounding on the door until she was forced to call the police. 

But his erratic behavior had gradually worked in Carol's favor, and Harge's lawyer had advised him that he might be better off to stick with their original agreement. Harge had gradually built up enough evidence against himself that he had tendencies to threaten and bully, and Rindy had spoken up boldly to the lawyers in defense of her mother.

And, in a brutal moment of honesty, Carol told him that he was going to fuck up his relationship with his daughter forever if he didn't cut it out. Finally, it sunk through to him, and he believed her. And it probably helped somewhat that he had developed a crush on the receptionist at the gym he frequented, a pert young blonde who hung on his every word. Carol had rolled her eyes when relaying this to Therese. "Sure, he seems charming now, but wait until she finds out what he's really like."

Things seemed to be going smoother now, but they were holding their breath until the paperwork was final. 

Carol and Therese had settled into a routine where Therese always went to Carol's after work, and when Rindy wasn't home she would spend the night. At the very least, they would have dinner together every evening, and Therese enjoyed the evenings with Rindy around almost as much as the times when she had Carol to herself. 

Carol had started to relax a little with Rindy around, and she would occasionally hug Therese or give her a quick peck on the cheek in sight of the girl. Rindy, for her part, had started to be very affectionate with Therese, hugging her or sitting close to her on the couch while they looked at each other's drawings. Therese was surprised by the pure talent the girl had, and she had been giving her short lessons in her spare time about how to improve the depth and quality of her work. 

For the first time in her life, Therese felt that she was part of a family. There were people who she could rely upon and, in turn, they depended on her too. Carol's house had started to feel like home, and her apartment had grown more cold and empty by the week. 

She felt guilty about her cats, especially when she just dashed in quickly to feed them and change their litter, and they would alternately rub against her legs and give her the cold shoulder. On the nights when she was home with them, she could tell that they had missed her, and they would curl up tight against her body in the bed at night. 

In this way, her life felt divided, a little unsettled, and she was always having to remember when to pack a bag for an overnight or when she should pick up a bag of coffee and some cereal for her lonely little apartment. Her next door neighbor had taken to joking that she was renting out the space whenever Therese was away. 

Therese pulled into Carol's driveway, happy that the mini Cooper was now nestled in the garage. It had taken her a full day and a half, but she had rounded up a ton of items for donation and cleaned out enough space for the little car to fit, and the look of surprise when Carol had seen what she was up to had been worth every minute of her hard work. 

Therese lifted the Subaru's hatch to pull out her basket of laundry. Carol insisted that Therese do her laundry at her house, saying it didn't make sense for her to pay to do laundry when it was just as easy to bring it over. Therese had bought a bottle of laundry detergent at the store, not wanting to feel like a total mooch. She did her best to contribute to her expenses there. Carol could be maddening sometimes; she refused to let Therese give her any money for the groceries, in spite of the fact that she ate at least one meal a day with her. 

So she did her best to supplement, buying things like toilet paper, paper towels, and bags of Carol's favorite gourmet coffee. Whenever she would show up with a bag in her arms, Carol would roll her eyes, exasperated. 

She fit her key into the lock and pushed the door open, the laundry basket on her hip. The house seemed dark. 

"Carol?" she called.

"In here," she heard a voice from the kitchen. 

Therese set the laundry basket in the hallway and made her way to the kitchen. She pushed open the door, and saw the room lit with candles, a large bouquet of flowers on the table, a bottle of champagne, and champagne flutes arranged beside them. 

"Wow," she said, seeking out Carol in the dimly lit room. "What's the occasion?"

Carol picked up a large envelope off the counter and ran to Therese excitedly. "The paperwork! It's final! I'm a free woman!!"

Therese squealed and flung her arms around Carol, and the two jumped up and down excitedly while they hugged and laughed, tears of joy in both of their eyes. Carol cupped her face in her hands and kissed her deeply, pulling back and looking into her eyes with so much love that Therese's heart melted all over again. 

"This wouldn't have been possible without you," she whispered softly. "You helped me figure it out, when all I wanted to do was give up."

"No," Therese responded, "you would have figured it out with or without me. You are stronger than you know – the strongest person I have ever met, in fact."

Carol shook her head and kissed her again, then led her over where she pulled out a chair for her to sit. 

She unwrapped the paper on the top of the champagne bottle, then started to struggle with the cork. Carol gripped the bottle between her thighs, pulling at the cork with all of her strength. Therese chortled at the ridiculous scene. When it finally gave with a pop, champagne shot out from between her legs and out onto the kitchen floor. She clamped her hand over the top of the bottle, and they both were laughing so hard that they could hardly breathe. 

"Look, you came all over the kitchen floor!" Therese guffawed, and they both cracked up again, Carol finally sliding to the floor in a heap to get her breath back. 

Finally she crawled over to a chair, setting what was left of the champagne on the table. Therese grabbed some paper towel to mop up the spill. "I dunno, I'm gonna need more light to get all of it. Do you have another 20 candles somewhere?"

"Oh fuck it," Carol said, and Therese giggled again, since Carol hardly ever said the "f" word.

She poured them both a full glass of bubbly, and she raised her glass in the candlelight. 

"To us," she said, and Therese raised her glass too, repeating, "to us."

They both took a healthy drink and then sat in the glowing silence, the world suddenly full of possibilities, with the cloud that had been hanging over their heads for so long now dissipated.

Carol set her glass on the table and took Therese's hand. Her eyes were a misty blue, the flame from a candle dancing across her irises. Therese felt she would never tire of staring at her, studying her face, watching those mesmerizing eyes that changed color with her moods. 

"Move in with me," she said.

Therese's heart stopped beating, she could swear it did. Did she just hear that, really?

"Are ... are you sure?"

"Yes, oh yes," she said, a smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

"But what about Rindy?"

"Silly girl, she's been after me for weeks to ask you to move in. She gets so nervous when you leave here at night in bad weather. As do I."

"Well, how could I say no ... to Rindy?" Therese said with a devilish grin. And then her cocky facade broke, she dove towards Carol and took her in her arms, squeezing her tightly.

"Oh, do you really mean it?"

"Yes, darling," Carol breathed, stroking her fingers through her hair. "I want you here with me always."

"Then I think that means you're going to have to marry me. I can't live in sin indefinitely, you know," Therese said, half-joking, but there was a note of seriousness to her voice.

"Why Miss Belivet, is that a proposal?" Carol said, fluttering her lashes.

"You bet it is," Therese said, her voice low and soft.

Carol pressed her lips against hers, a crushing kiss. She pulled back and looked at her, "Well, it wasn't exactly on bended knee, but I guess I have you on your knees quite enough as it is."

She wiggled her eyebrows and made a goofy face.

"Is that a yes, Miss Aird?"

"Yes," she said, "but you can call me Miss Ross." She smiled softly at Therese, and her eyes continued the conversation, speaking volumes about her love and devotion, making promises for their future together. Therese's heart left her chest and made a lap around the room. 

They clasped hands and kissed again, a soft, tender, searching kiss that left Therese's brain buzzing and sparking. 

A thought interrupted her, like a short in a sparking wire, "What about my cats?" she asked, suddenly worried.

Carol laughed. "Well, they can be the flower girls."

Therese scowled. "I meant ..."

"I know I know, I was just teasing you," Carol interrupted. "They'll have to get used to Xena, but of course they'll be part of the family too."

Carol pulled her to her again, and they kissed, wrapped in a tight embrace, the kiss building and lengthening, their tongues in an intricate dance of flirtation. Their passion built in the kiss, and Therese writhed against Carol, sliding her hands down to those voluptuous, womanly hips. 

"I think we should have an early bedtime, don't you?" Carol breathed.

"Mmm hmm. Working girls need their rest."

Carol took her hand and started leading her out of the kitchen.

As they walked down the hallway, Therese whispered, "Hey, about that whip?"

"Yesss?" Carol said, leading her through the doorway to the bedroom.

"I think I'm ready to try that with you. I'd like you to use it on me."

Carol dragged her over to the bed and pulled her on top of her, biting and kissing at her neck.

"No," she said.

"No?" asked Therese, panting, her hands wandering up to cup Carol's breasts.

"Little girl, you are going to have to beg more prettily than that to get me to whip you."

Therese groaned, and what seemed a never-ending cup of moisture flowed from between her legs. 

This woman, what she did to her. 

They undressed each other in the semi-dark, and Therese whimpered softly as Carol wound her fingers in her hair, tugging it softly. Therese painted her body in kisses, worshipping her with every kiss, her mind spinning at the thought that now she would spend every night here, in this bed, with the woman she loved more than anything else. 

When Therese slid down between her legs at last, Carol moaned as she made gentle, slow love to her with her mouth. They were connected completely, intimately. It was as close as she could get to having Carol's heart in her mouth, holding her warmly and protectively, bathing her with her tongue. 

And when she could tease her no longer, when Carol's cries had become too urgent and she had grabbed Therese's face to press her into her sex, Therese flattened her tongue and gave her what she wanted, her firm, swift strokes bringing her to crest again and again.

Carol's love cry shattered the darkness and Therese laid her damp cheek against her thigh, panting. 

This was all she needed. It was all she would ever need. Like the crocus, she had burst through the frozen layer of earth and was blossoming into the warm spring sunshine.

\- The end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear readers, it has been a lovely journey. Thank you to all of you who have read this through to the end, whether you have been a commenter or not.   
> I'd love to hear from you, whether it's to share what your favorite moment/part of this fic was or just to say hello.   
> I'm gonna miss the interaction!


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